ration in 1867,
and in turn became part of the fleet of the new German Empire in 1871.

In the war with France the German fleet played no part. There were one
or two clashes between French and German small boats, but that was all.
Even the successful outcome of the war did not inspire Germany to build
up a navy. Plans for the greater navy were first outlined about 1882,
but for a period of seven years not a battleship was built,
concentration being placed upon the torpedo boat. The idea of developing
the torpedo boat fleet belong to the present Grand Admiral von Tirpitz,
then a young officer. The fleet became the best in the world, but its
usefulness was soon checked by the new inventions, searchlights, gatling
guns, etc.

Germany's fleet legislation of 1898 for the first time looked ahead and
established rules for future building. The Spanish-American and the Boer
wars disquieted Germany, and about 1900 the fleet was doubled by
legislation. In 1906 the campaign of submarines, torpedo boats and
greater battleships began. Part of the program required that 12 torpedo
boats be built each year. Additional legislation for the construction of
cruisers and battleships was effected in 1908, and in 1912, until at the
beginning of the war, Germany had 38 ships of the line, 14 armored
cruisers, 38 protected cruisers, 224 torpedo boats and 30 submarines.
There were no torpedo-boat destroyers, the small cruisers taking their
places. The naval organization contained 73,000 officers and men. The
largest boats are the dreadnoughts, which are divided into several
classes. One of the last of these built by Germany was the Derfflinger,
which had a displacement of 28,000 tons.

The personnel of the German navy prior to the war was 79,197 officers
and men.

THE BRITISH NAVY.

Because of the fact that the territory of Great Britain is scattered
over the face of the globe and that it is necessary to use the highways
of the sea for reaching her various possessions, the navy of that
country is undoubtedly the greatest collection of fighting ships ever
gathered together under one flag.

In order to take care of her population of 1,625,000,000 she has
gathered together a navy consisting of 60 modern battleships, 9 battle
cruisers, 34 armored cruisers, 17 heavy protected cruisers, 70 light
cruisers, 232 destroyers, 59 torpedo boats of the latest type, 75
submarines, together with 50 sea-going auxiliaries of the fleet, which
are used as m