GRIN, BENEDETTO (1833-1898), Italian naval adminis trator, was born at Turin on May 17, 1833, and became a naval engineer. In 1873 Admiral Saint-Bon, minister of marine, ap pointed him under-secretary of State. The two supplemented each other; Saint-Bon conceived a type of ship, Brin made the plans and directed its construction. On the advent of the Lef t to power in 1876, Brin was appointed minister of marine by Depretis. Then Italian naval industry, almost non-existent in 1873, made rapid progress. In his eleven years' ministry (1876-78 with Depretis, 1884-91 with Depretis and Crispi, 2896-98 with Rudini), he succeeded in creating large private ship-yards, engine works and metallurgical works for the production of armour, steel plates and guns. In 1892 he entered the Giolitti cabinet as minis ter for foreign affairs. He was minister of marine in the Rudini cabinet when he died, on May 24, 1898. He, more than any other man, must be regarded as the practical creator of the Italian navy.