FRANCE. 



285 



can obtain leave of absence at the end of one 

 year. All who are exempted on account of 

 physical infirmity or who have not served the 

 full three years pay a military tax of 6 francs 

 MI K I a variable surtax. The colonial army is re- 

 cruited by enlistment. The annual contingent 

 of recruits, including about 11,400 marine in- 

 fantry, sailors for the navy, and volunteers for 

 the colonies, is about 220,000 men. The num- 

 ber of conscripts in 1892 was 213.167. The peace 

 effective for 1894 was 564,603 officers and men, 

 an increase of 8,566 over 1893. The strength of 

 the different arms and the distribution of the 

 troops are shown in the following table: 



The total number of officers was 28,555, of 

 whom 3,678 were on staff duty, 590 in the mili- 

 tary schools, 2,704 on special duty, 12,377 in the 

 infantry, 3,906 in the cavalry, 3,719 in the artil- 

 lery, '434 in the engineers, 412 in the train, 652 

 in the gendarmerie, and 83 in the Republican 

 Guard. Deducting the sick and absent and the 

 gendarmerie and Republican Guard, the active 

 army numbered 494,235 of all ranks with the 

 colors. 



The war strength of the active army and its 

 reserve is estimated to be 2.350,000, and the total 

 number of men who have received military train- 

 ing at 4,372,000. Counting 25 classes of 230,000 

 men each, less 25 per cent, allowed for deaths, 

 disability, etc., the war strength is estimated to 

 be nearly 4,350,000. 



The Navy. The French navy is the second 

 strongest in the world, containing 23 first-, 8 sec- 

 ond-, and 3 third-class battle ships ; 18 first-class 

 cruisers, of which 8 are of 5,000 tons or more, and 

 a speed exceeding 15 knots; 37 second-class 

 cruisers; 112 third-class cruisers, including gun 

 vessels, gunboats, torpedo cruisers, etc., of which 

 47 steam 10 knots or more at sea ; and 45 first-, 

 148 second-, and 38 third-class torpedo craft. 

 The most powerful battle ships are the " Ami- 

 ral Duperre," of 11,070 tons, launched in 1879; 

 the " Devastation," of 10,580 tons, launched in 

 1879; the "Courbet," of 10,520 tons, launched 

 in 1882: the "Amiral Baudin," of 11,900 tons, 

 launched in 1883; the " Formidable," of 11,910 

 tons, launched in 1885 ; the " Hoche," of 10,650 

 tons, a remarkably high turret ship, carrying 2 

 13-3-inch and 2 10 : 6-inch guns, launched in 1886 ; 

 the " Neptune " and the " Marceau," of 10,620 

 tons, launched in 1887, and the " Magenta," of 

 10,610 tons, launched in 1889, each armed with 

 4 13-3-inch, 17 5'5-inch, and 14 smaller quick- 

 firing guns ; the " Brennus," of 10,980 tons, 

 launched in 1891 ; the " Massena," of 11,730 tons, 

 launched in 1892 ; the " Charles Martel " and the 



" Jaureguiberry," of 11,800 tons, carrying 2 11-8- 

 inch, 2 10-6-inch, and 16 quick-firing guns, 

 launched in 1893 ; the " Henri Quatre," ' Char- 

 lemagne," and " St. Louis," of 10,780 tons, each 

 armed with 4 11'8-inch, 10 5-5-inch quick-firing 

 guns, and 32 of smaller caliber, launched in 1894; 

 and the " Bouvet," of 12,205 tons, and the " Car- 

 not," of 11,820 tons, designed to carry 2 11-8- 

 inch, 2 10-6-inch, 8 5-5-inch, and, respectively, 32 

 and 16 smaller quick-firing guns. The " Du- 

 perre," "Baudin," and "Formidable" have 22 

 inches of armor on the water line and the heavy 

 guns mounted in barbettes ; the " Courbet " and 

 " Devastation " have 15 inches of armor and cen- 

 tral batteries. The later battle ships noted above, 

 as well as the smaller ones of the " Jemmapes " 

 class, carry their heavy guns and their secondary 

 armament in closed turrets, and have a complete 

 belt of 18 inches of steel armor. The ' Massena " 

 and " Bouvet " are provided with triple screws. 

 The most important addition to the navy in 1894 

 was the " Carnot,'' launched at Toulon, remark- 

 able for the reach and power of her bow and 

 stern fire, the largest guns being mounted in 

 turrets forward and aft, while the 10'6-inch guns 

 are likewise mounted on each beam, and the 5*5- 

 inch guns, mounted singly in separate turrets, 

 strengthen her offensive power on beam and 

 quarters. The list of vessels under construction 

 in the beginning of 1894 includes 10 first-elass 

 battle ships, 4 coast-defense battle ships, 9 first- 

 class cruisers, 14 second-class cruisers, and 4 

 third-class cruisers. 



Commerce and Production. The general 

 commerce of 1892 was 5,136,000,000 francs of im- 

 ports and 4,551,000,000 francs of exports. The 

 special imports, or imports for domestic con- 

 sumption, were valued at 4,188,000,000 francs, 

 and the special exports, or exports of French 

 produce and manufacture, at 3,461,000,000 francs. 

 The imports of food products were 1,400,000,000 

 francs in value, compared with 1,653.000,000 

 francs in 1891, 1,445,000,000 francs in 1890, and 

 1,441,000,000 francs in 1889 ; raw materials fig- 

 ured for 2,173,000,000 francs, compared with 

 2,419,000,000, 2,342,000,000, and 2,262,000,000 

 francs respectively ; and manufactures for 615,- 

 000,000 francs, compared with 696,000,000, 650,- 

 000,000, and 613,000,000 francs. The domestic- 

 exports of food products were 759,000,000 francs, 

 compared with 809,000,000 francs in the preced- 

 ing year, 855,000,000 francs in 1890, and 837,000,- 

 000 francs in 1889: the exports of raw stuffs 

 were 823,000,000 francs, having declined from 

 835,000,000 francs in 1891, 899,000.000 francs in 

 1890, and 941,000,000 francs in 1889; and the 

 exports of manufactured goods were 1,879,000,- 

 000 francs, compared with 1,926,000,000 francs in 

 1891, 1,999,000,000 francs in 1890, and 1,926,000,- 

 000 francs in 1889. The values of the chief im- 

 ports in 1892 were as follow : Cereals, 487,000,- 

 000 francs ; wool, 319,000,000 francs ; wine, 305,- 

 000,000 francs ; raw silk, 258,000,000 francs ; raw 

 cotton, 207,000,000 francs ; coal and coke, 185,- 

 000,000 francs; oil seeds, 154,000,000 francs; 

 hides, skins, and furs, 147,000,000 francs ; coffee, 

 145,000,000 francs; timber and wood, 105,000,- 

 000 francs ; ores, 64,000,000 francs : flax. 62,000,- 

 000 francs ; silk goods. 62,000,000 francs ; sugar, 

 60,000,000 francs; woolen goods, 56,000,000 

 francs; cattle, 55,000.000 francs; cotton goods, 



