e la Gironde, near Bordeaux.

Each of the arrondissements above mentioned is divided into
sous-arrondissements, having their centres in the great commercial
ports, but this arrangement is purely for the embodiment of the men of
the Inscription Maritime, and has nothing to do with the dockyards as
naval arsenals. In each arrondissement the vice-admiral, who is naval
prefect, is the immediate representative of the minister of marine,
and has full direction and command of the arsenal, which is his
headquarters. He is thus commander-in-chief, as also
governor-designate for time of war, but his authority does not extend
to ships belonging to organized squadrons or divisions. The naval
prefect is assisted by a rear-admiral as chief of the staff (except at
Lorient and Rochefort, where the office is filled by a captain), and a
certain number of officers, the special functions of the chief of the
staff having relation principally to the efficiency and _personnel_ of
the fleet, while the "major-general," who is usually a rear-admiral,
is concerned chiefly with the _materiel_. There are also directors of
stores, of naval construction, of the medical service and of the
submarine defences (which are concerned with torpedoes, mines and
torpedo-boats), as well as of naval ordnance and works. The prefect
directs the operations of the arsenal, and is responsible for its
efficiency and for that of the ships which are there in reserve. In
regard to the constitution and maintenance of the naval forces, the
administration of the arsenals is divided into three principal
departments, the first concerned with naval construction, the second
with ordnance, including gun-mountings and small-arms, and the third
with the so-called submarine defences, dealing with all torpedo
_materiel_.

_Germany._--With the expansion of the German navy considerable
additions have been made to the two principal dockyards. These are
Wilhelmshaven, the naval headquarters on the North Sea, and Kiel, the
headquarters on the Baltic, Danzig being an establishment of lesser
importance, and Kiao-chau an undeveloped base in the Shantung
peninsula, China. The chief official at each home dockyard is the
superintendent (_Oberwerftdirektor_), who is a rear-admiral or senior
captain directly responsible to the naval secretary of state. Under
the superintendent's orders are the chief of the Ausrustung
dep