256 



FRANCE. 



Suffren, of 12,052 tons, launched in 1899, which 

 has 13$-inch annealed armor over the vital parts, 

 a, speed of 18 knots with engines of 15,500 horse- 

 power, and an armament of 4 12-inch guns coupled 

 in barbette turrets fore and aft and a quick-firing 

 battery, placed high, of 8 6.4-inch, 8 3.9-inch, and 

 34 small guns. The Jena, launched in 1898, is 

 identical in design and armament, but the quick- 

 firing battery is unprotected underneath, as is 

 the case with the Charlemagne, Saint Louis, and 

 Oaulois, of 11,097 tons, launched in 1895 and 

 1896. In the Charles Martel, Jaureguiberry, Car- 

 not, Masscna, and Bouvet, built between 1893 and 

 1896, there are 2 12-inch and 2 10.8-inch guus 

 placed singly in lozenge disposition, while 8 5.5- 

 inch quick-firing guns are mounted in small tur- 

 rets and they have from 26 to 34 smaller quick- 

 firers. The Brennus, launched in 1891, of 11,215 

 tons, has 3 13.4-inch guns in fore and aft turrets, 

 and a heavy quick-firing battery of 10 6.5-inch 

 and 31 smaller guns well protected amidships. 

 The Bouvines, Valmy, Jemmapes, and Trehouart, 

 third-class battle-ships of about 6,500 tons, carry 

 12-inch guns singly in barbette turrets and have 

 4-inch and smaller quick-firers amidships without 

 protective armor. The earlier type of French bat- 

 tle-ship, of which the Marceau and Magenta, of 

 10,680 tons, are the latest examples, has a high 

 freeboard, a complete belt of armor at the water- 

 line, and 4 large guns disposed in a lozenge ar- 

 rangement, with a very strong quick-firing arma- 

 ment. These two vessels, launched in 1887 and 

 1890, carry 4 13.4-inch guns in their barbettes, and 

 the quick-firing battery consists of 17 5.5-inch 

 and 25 smaller guns in the Marceau and 16 5.5- 

 inch and 34 others in the Magenta. The R6- 

 publique and Patrie, having a displacement of 15,- 

 000 tons, are designed to steam 18J knots, and 

 their armament will consist of 4 12-inch breech- 

 loaders and 18 6.4-inch and numerous smaller 

 quick-firing guns. The French armored cruisers 

 are long and narrow, with 7.6-inch guns mounted 

 singly in turrets so as to obtain a free command 

 .and quick adjustment, with less regard to protec- 

 tion. The Montcalm, launched in 1899, and 

 Dupetit-Thouars and Gueydon, launched in 1900, 

 of 9,517 tons, and the Gloire and Conde, launched 

 in 1901, of 10,000 tons, and the newer Sully carry 

 besides the 7.6-inch guns 8 6.4-inch, 4 4-inch, and 

 24 smaller quick-firers. The Marseillaise, of 10,- 

 014 tons, has 6 4-inch quick-firers. The Desaix, 

 Kleber, and Dupleix, of 7,700 tons, are armed with 

 quick-firers only, 10 6.4-inch and 16 small ones. 

 The Jurien de la Gravi&re, launched in 1900, has 

 deck protection only, a displacement of 5,500 tons, 

 and an armament of 8 6.4-inch and 12 1.8-inch 

 quick-firers. The latest type of armored cruiser, 

 represented by the Lon Gambetta, Jules Ferry, 

 and Victor Hugo, of 12,416 tons, have 4 7.6-inch 

 quick-firers coupled in turrets, with better protec- 

 tion for their bases, and a secondary armament of 

 16 6.4-inch quick-firers. These vessels, with engines 

 of 24,000 horse-power, are intended to make 21 

 knots the speed of the 10,000-ton and 9,517- 

 ton cruisers, with engines of 20,000 horse-power. 

 The Jurien de la Graviere, with engines of 17,000 

 horse-power, has a nominal speed of 23 knots, and 

 so have the Guichen, of 8,277 tons, and the Cha- 

 teaurenault, of 8,018 tons, launched in 1897 and 

 1898, with engines of 24.000 horse-power and 23,- 

 000 horse-power, carrying 2 6.4-inch, 6 5.5-inch, 

 and 10 small quick-firing guns: and also the 

 armored cruiser Jeanne d'Arc, launched in 1899, 

 which has engines of 28,000 horse-power, with 2 

 7.6-inch guns in turrets and a quick-firing arma- 

 ment of 12 5.5-inch and 26 small guns. 

 The French navy is under the direction of the 



Minister of Marine, but since 1898 naval matters 

 proper, the technical and military responsibilities 

 pertaining to construction, maintenance, commis- 

 sioning, mobilization, and every preparation for 

 war, are confided to the chief of staff, an officer of 

 the highest rank, Vice- Admiral Bienaime in 1902. 

 The navy is manned partly by conscription and 

 partly by voluntary enlistment. The entire sea- 

 faring population between the ages of eighteen 

 and fifty have been since the time of Colbert 

 registered in the Inscription Maritime, and such 

 serve in the navy instead of the army. Since 

 1872 it has been open to a limited number of 

 conscripts called for service in the active army 

 to choose the naval service instead, if they are fit 

 for its duties. Of about 114,000 men in the 

 Inscription Maritime, 25,500 are in active service 

 in the navy, and the rest form a reserve which 

 would provide a surplus of 50,000 men or more 

 over the number required to man the whole fleet 

 in case of mobilization. The personnel of the 

 navy in 1901 consisted of 15 vice-admirals, 30 

 rear-admirals, 125 captains, 215 commandants, 

 754 lieutenants, 502 ensigns, 146 aspirants of the 

 first and 78 of the second class, 1,426 mechanicians, 

 engineers, hydrographers, paymasters, surgeons, 

 instructors, etc., 50,496 petty officers and seamen, 

 and in the reserve 15 vice-admirals, 15 rear-ad- 

 mirals, 202 other officers, 345 commissaries, sur- 

 geons, and other superior employees, and 5,471 

 petty officers and seamen; total effective, 59,835 

 officers and men. 



Commerce and Production. The yield of 

 wheat in 1900 was 114,710,880 hectoliters, from 

 6,864,070 hectares; of barley, 14,394,320 hecto- 

 liters, from 757,193 hectares; of oats, 88,309.920 

 hectoliters, from 3,941,420 hectares; of rye, 20,- 

 889,000 hectoliters, from 1,419,780 hectares; of 

 buckwheat, 8,163,627 hectoliters, from 602,581 

 hectares; of corn, 7,834,660 hectoliters, from 541,- 

 191 hectares; of mixed grain, 3,212,150 hectoliters, 

 from 200,560 hectares; of potatoes, 122,541,230 

 hectoliters, from 1,509,898 hectares; of sugar-beets, 

 85,861,510 quintals, from 329,617 hectares; of other 

 beets, 110,288,160 quintals, from 492,013 hectares; 

 of colza, 425,310 quintals, from 38,715 hectares; 

 of flax, 88,988 quintals of fiber and 194,155 quin- 

 tals of seed, from 21.260 hectares; of hemp, 185,125 

 quintals, from 26,790 hectares; of wine, 68,514,906 

 hectoliters, from 1,609,353 hectares; of tobacco, 

 227,598 quintals, from 17,673 hectares; of clover, 

 35,016,275 quintals, from 1,022,422 hectares; of 

 hay and grass, 160,743,459 quintals, from 5,566,- 

 258 hectares. The area of vinevards in 1901 was 

 1,735,345 hectares, producing 57,964,000 hecto- 

 liters of wine. The exportation of wine was 

 1,654,000 hectoliters, and the importation 3,149,- 

 000 hectoliters. The production of cider in 1901 

 was 12,734,000 hectoliters. The crops of walnuts, 

 chestnuts, olives, cider-apples, prunes, and mul- 

 berry-leaves in 1900 was valued at 229,475,369 

 francs; the orange and lemon crops, at 1,092,435 

 francs. The numbers of domestic animals in 

 France on Dec. 31, 1900, were 2,903,063 horses, 

 205.002 mules, 356.239 asses, 14,520,832 cattle, 

 20,179,561 sheep, 6,740,405 hogs, and 1,557.!>2.1 

 goats. The production of alcohol in 1900 was 

 2,656.268 hectoliters. The silk-growing industry, 

 which is encouraged by premiums from the Gov- 

 ernment, amounting for the year to 5,569,187 

 francs, employed 136,214 persons in 1900, who 

 raised 9,180.404 kilograms of cocoons, from which 

 4,086,630 kilograms of raw silk, valued at 139,523.- 

 661 francs, were produced, 107.098 kilograms of 

 cocoons, valued at 1,167.357 francs, being ex- 

 ported. The number of mines in operation in 1899 

 was 529, employing 156,504 persons. The product 



