“ During 1901 the navy was reorganized, and soon after it was proposed to construct a new and powerful fleet of 8 battleships of 12,000 tons, 4 cruisers of 8000 tons, and a limited number of smaller cruisers and torpedo vessels. All the old vessels not actually needed have been or are to be sold, the arsenals and naval establishments are being reorganized, and other improvements are contemplated. It is hoped by these means so to reduce the unnecessary expenses that a fine fleet can gradually be built and maintained without adding greatly to the expenses of the Government. ”

“ With the possible exception of that of Sweden or Denmark, the Norwegian navy is the oldest in Europe. In proportion to its population, Norway has a greater mercantile marine and furnishes more mariners than any other country, but the great expense of modern fighting ships prevents the maintenance of a large naval force, or an attempt to do more than defend the coast. The government of the navy is confided to the commanding officer of the navy and the Minister of Marine and Posts. ”

“ The Senate encouraged the nobles to trade and serve in the fleet and they became merchants and admirals.
In the ninth century the Saracens had become powerful and troublesome in the Mediterranean, where their piratical armed vessels and strong fleets were the terror of every merchant who had a venture on the sea. They carried their depredations to the coast of Italy, so that in 842 the Venetians coöperated with the Greeks in sending a naval expedition against them. ”

“ The composition of the fleet is given in the comparative tables further on.
Great Britain. The British navy has been the most powerful navy in the world for three centuries, and it is to-day more than equal to the combined forces of any two Powers—probably equal to any four in actual warfare, as allied forces never can develop their full strength from lack of one supreme directing authority. The Naval Department is administered by the Board of Admiralty of six persons, consisting of the first lord, first sea lord, second sea lord, junior sea lord, controller, and civil lord. ”

“ 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 Greeks fled at the first attack of the enemy, but the Venetians fought against vastly superior numbers until their loss was so great as to make further resistance impossible, when the few survivors endeavored to make their escape. ”

“ 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. ”

“ After the formation of the Empire a number of armored ships of importance were built, but it is only within the last dozen years that Germany began to take rank as a great naval power. From 1890 to the present the building of powerful new ships has proceeded steadily. After completing the vessels of several small building programmes, the Government in 1898 prepared a ‘sexennate’ programme, which was approved by the Reichstag. This provided for the constrtiction of 7 new battleships, 2 armored cruisers, and 5 small cruisers, besides replacing vessels which had become antiquated. ”

“ The navy of Ecuador consists of one small cruiser of 811 tons (launched 1885, repaired 1900) , two iron steamers lightly armed, and one torpedo boat of about 85 tons.
Egypt. Egypt has no navy, properly speaking. The armed vessels possessed by the Government are sixteen steam and sailing vessels of the coast guard service of 10 to 450 tons, three dispatch vessels of 330 to 700 tons, one transport of 3700 tons, thirteen shallow-draught river gunboats, and three royal yachts, which carry small guns.
France. The success of the French navy in war has never been proportional to its strength. ”

“ Russia. The Russian navy really dates from the time of Peter the Great, though the dwellers in the lands now belonging to Russia along the shores of the Baltic have been seafaring people from time immemorial. The navy and Navy Department are presided over by the general admiral, who is always one of the Imperial family. He has under his orders an Under-Secretary of State having the rank of vice-minister and called the director of the Ministry. ”

“ It seems likely that the French naval authorities have realized the drift of naval matters for several years, and that the special attention that has been paid to the development of submarine boats is due to the hope of obtaining a defensive naval weapon which, at little expense, would enable the French coasts to be adequately protected. ”

“ The navy of Sweden has been very much increased during the last fifteen years, and now possesses many effective coast-defense ships. The navy is presided over by a Minister of Marine with headquarters at Stockholm ”

“ The engineering college is at Keyham, and there are engineering schools at all the principal dockyards. The gunnery and torpedo schools are both located at Portsmouth. (See Naval Schools of Instruction.) The strength of the British fleet is given in the table on a following page.
Greece. The navy of Greece is naturally small, but it is by no means insignificant. The quality of its officers and men and their organization and training have never been tested by war, as practically no use was made of the fleet during the war with Turkey. ”

“ The enlisted force on paper is about 15,000 men; in fact, it rarely exceeds 3000, and sometimes is considerably less. For many years the larger vessels of the navy swung around their buoys in the Golden Horn without moving and without sufficient men on board to move them. The fleet consisted in 1902 of 1 battleship of 10,650 tons, which has been under construction at the arsenal of Constantinople for nearly ten years, and in 1902 was still far from being ready to launch ”

“ The only naval arsenal is at Lisbon, where is also located the naval college, a sort of polytechnic institute in which all the officers of the navy are educated—even the medical officers having a final course there. ”

“ The financial secretary is a member of Parliament and of the party in power, and through him all Parliamentary statements are made in the House of Commons, unless the first lord be a member of that House. ”

“ There is a naval school for the instruction of petty officers, but a military education is apparently sufficient for the higher officers. There is a small navy yard at Galatz at which gunboats are occasionally built. The fleet consists of 1 protected cruiser of 1325 tons (launched 1887) , 4 gunboats of 104 to 400 tons (launched 1862-86) , 1 armed yacht of 350 tons, torpedo boats of 55 tons (launched 1888-95) , 8 second class torpedo boats and launches of 10 to 32 tons (launched 1882-95) , and 12 gunboats and coastguard vessels of 45 to 110 tons (launched 1873-93) . ”