156 Sir William E. White [June 9, 



parture for our subsequent construction of submarines. In France 

 also successive designs for submarines were prepared by competent 

 naval architects, and a few vessels were built and tried. The Plongeur^ 

 of 1860, was a submarine of large size, considerable cost, and well- 

 considered design ; but her limited radius of action and comparatively 

 low speed left her for many years without a successor on the French 

 Navy List. The high relative standing attained by the French Navy 

 as compared with our own, in consequence of the vigorous action of 

 the Emperor Napoleon III. in developing steam propulsion and armour 

 protection for sea-going ships, no doubt greatly influenced French 

 policy at that time, and delayed development of submarine construc- 

 tion. When conditions were altered in consequence of the Franco- 

 German War of 1870, and the position of the French Navy in relation 

 to the British became less favourable, it was natural that the question 

 of submarine construction should assume greater importance in France. 

 In the interval, moreover, great advances had been made in materials 

 of construction and in means of propulsion available for submarines. 

 The extended use of steel, and the practical applications of electricity 

 gave to designers greater facilities than existed previously, and pubhc 

 interest in the construction of submarines and small swift vessels was 

 increased by the writings of the jeuiie ecole, who strongly condemned 

 the continued construction of armoured " mastodons." 



The modern development of submarines for war purposes is chiefly 

 due to French initiative. During the earlier stages of this develop- 

 ment progress was extremely slow. The Gijmiiote was ordered in 

 1886 and the Gustave Zede in 1888, and her trials continued over 

 nearly eight years, large sums of money being spent thereon. In 

 1896 competitive designs for submarines were invited, but no great 

 activity was displayed in this department of construction until the 

 Fashoda incident two years later. Since that time remarkable de- 

 velopments have been made in France, considerable numbers of 

 submarines have been laid down, rival types have been constructed, 

 and many designers have been engaged in the work. Up to the 

 present time about seventy submarines and submersibles have ])een 

 ordered ; in July 1904 the total number of completed vessels was 

 twenty-eight ; and at the end of 1907 it is estimated that France will 

 possess sixty completed submarines, with a total displacement of 

 nearly 18,600 tons. The first French submarine of modern type, the 

 Gymnote, was 56 feet long, and of 30 tons displacement. The latest 

 types are nearly 150 feet long and of 420 tons displacement. The 

 cost of a French submarine designed in 1898 was about 26,000/. 

 The estimated cost of the latest and largest vessels is about 70,000/. 

 The French have pursued no continuous policy in this development, 

 but have alternated between vessels of comparatively large, and others 

 of much smaller displacement. This course had much to recommend 

 it, no doubt, as it brought many accomplished naval architects into 

 competition ; but the lack of a continuous and progressive policy has 

 resulted in dissatisfaction and difficulty, and this is frankly ackuow^ 



