Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/346

NAVIES. to 1881 it steadily declined, until it reached the point of almost absolute uselessness so far as the ships were concerned, and ceased to be a factor among the naval armaments of the Powers. In 1866 the North German Confederation took over the Prussian navy and made some additions; and the fleet again received some increase of strength in the decade following the formation of the German Empire. Italy began to develop a fleet as soon as the Kingdom was established, but the disastrous battle of Lissa in 1866 caused a temporary check, and it was not until 1872 that she adopted the building policy that in a dozen years brought her up into the first rank of naval Powers. Russia began to reconstruct her fleet after the close of the Crimean War and has pursued a steady and unwavering policy of naval increase from that date to the present. In 1881 the United States began to rebuild the navy, but it was not until 1890 that battleships of the first class were commenced. After completing four large armorclads in 1878-80, Germany added little to her fleet until 1888-89, when a programme was adopted which included the construction of 28 ships of various types. Japan organized its navy on a modern footing soon after the close of the Civil War in the United States, and slowly added to it until after the battle of the Yalu (1894), when she began to build the fine vessels that have made her navy the most powerful outside of Europe, with the exception of that of the United States. Of the Powers of the second rank, Austria-Hungary is first. After the War of 1866 she did little for several years, and then (1872-78) built only three ships of much importance. In 1887 she launched two small armorclads, and in 1895-96 three coast defense vessels. Then was instituted a shipbuilding policy which, if persisted in, may soon place her among the great maritime Powers. Turkey, which had a powerful navy about 1880, has allowed it to fall into decay, and had not in 1903 a single ship of the first or even of the second class.

So far as the collective strength of their heavy fighting ships is concerned, navies are considered to rank as follows in 1903: 1. British; 2. French; 3. Russian; 4. United States; 5, German: 6, Italian; 7. Japanese; 8. Austrian. To the lesser Powers it is difficult to assign places. The relative positions of the United States and Germany are disputed, though all authorities agree that their forces are very nearly equal. At the opening of the twentieth century the French and Italian navies have been falling behind their rivals, and the Russian is hardly holding its own. If the present conditions remain unchanged, it seems likely that in a very few years the United States and Germany will be superior at sea to all other Powers except Great Britain, and will be striving with each other for second place.

The condition of the various navies in 1901-02 was as follows:

The Argentine navy is the most powerful one possessed by a South American State. In May, 1902, the fleet consisted of 4 high-speed armored cruisers of 6840 to 7l80 tons (launched 1895-98), 1 third-class battleship of 4267 tons (launched 1880, but recently rebuilt), 2 armored coast-defense vessels of 2336 tons (launched 1890-91), 2 armored coast-defense vessels of 1558 tons (launched 1874-75, but being reconstructed), 3 high-speed protected cruisers of 3200, 3570, and 4780 tons (launched 1890-95), 1 small partially protected cruiser of 1442 tons (launched 1874), 2 torpedo gunboats of 1070 and 520 tons (launched 1890-93), 3 gun vessels of 550 to 820 tons, 1 cruising school-ship of 2750 tons (launched 1897), 1 torpedo school-ship of 1100 tons (launched 1880), 4 torpedo-boat destroyers of 280 tons, 2 torpedo boats of 110 tons, 6 of 85 tons, 4 of 52 tons, 10 of 16 tons, and 1 torpedo mining boat. In addition there were building in Europe two high-speed armored cruisers of 8500 tons, and in Buenos Ayres a submarine boat was reported as under construction. The former by a treaty signed in 1903 between Argentina and Chile were to be disposed of, while further disarmament was contemplated. The naval academy is located at Buenos Ayres. There is a small naval station at La Plata and a torpedo school and torpedo-boat station at Buenos Ayres, but the principal navy yard will be at Bahia Blanca when the works which were under construction in 1902 are completed.

The navy of Austria is in power of its fighting ships eighth in rank among the navies of the world and sixth among those in Europe. For many years no new vessels of importance were added to the fleet, but in 1893 the armored cruiser Kaiserin Maria Theresia was launched and three small battleships were commenced; and since that time the annual building programme has steadily increased. As reorganized in 1901 the Navy Department forms an autonomous section in the Ministry of War under the control of a vice-admiral, who is commander-in-chief of the fleet and marine forces, and who represents the Minister of War in the discussions of the budget of the Navy Department. The department consists of the marine cabinet, the general staff, and three administrative sections divided into eight bureaus. The naval budget for 1901-02 amounted to 46,690,820 crowns ($9,478,236.46: 1 crown = $0.203), an increase of 3,200,000 crowns on that for the previous year. The principal navy yard is at Pola (which is the headquarters of the fleet), but there is another at Triest, and several small stations along the Dalmatian coast. The tabular statement later in this article gives the strength of the Austrian fleet.

The seacoast of Belgium is only 42 miles long, and there are no very important seaports except the interior one of Antwerp. For fishery protection there is a small armed steamer of 684 tons, but there is no navy properly so called.

Among the navies possessed by South American nations the navy of Brazil is third in power. The principal navy yard, together with the naval academy and apprentice school, is located at Rio de Janiero, but there are other naval stations at Pernambuco, Santa Catalina, and Bahia. The fleet consists of 2 small battleships of 5700 and 4950 tons (launched 1883-85, but rebuilt in 1893-90), 2 new coast-defense armorclads of 3162 tons (launched 1898-99), 4 protected cruisers of 4537, 3450, 2750, and 1300 tons (launched 1890-96), 3 cruisers of 1414 to 1911 tons (launched 1877-90), 5 torpedo gun vessels of 500 to 1030 tons (launched 1892-98), 1 old monitor of 1000 tons, 6 small river monitors of 340 to 470 tons, 15 first-class torpedo boats,