There were four naval bases abroad which were organized for the supplying and protec tion of divisions of battleships: Fort de France (Martinique) ; Dakar (Senegal) ; Diego-Suarez (Madagascar) ; Saigon (Cochin China). In addition. Papeati (Tahiti), Haip hong (Tonkin), Libreville (Gabon) and Saint Louts (Senegal) could if required be made use of.
Finally it should be noted that Algiers and Oran, dependencies of Bizerta, possessed, like Bizerta itself, mobile maritime defenses, con sisting of small squadrons of torpedo boats. The same remark applies to Ajaccio in Corsica, a dependency of Toulon.
Organization of the Personnel. (a) the war, there were 2,050 naval officers; 340 skilled mechanic officers; 160 naval engineer officers (constructors) ; 250 naval commissioners; 400 doctors and chemists; 27 hydrographical engineers.t Each of these corps was normally recruited from the dif ferent schools or by means of special organiza tions. However, the marine officers' corps, re cruited principally from among pupils who have been graduated at the Naval School of Brest, admitted, under certain conditions as regards capacity, pupils from the Polytechnic School, the first mates (masters) of the men composing the fleet, the long distance captains (merchant fleet) having previously passed the position of auxiliary ensign. The different ranks in this marine corps were midshipman (on training ships only), ensign first and second class (corresponding to lieutenant and second lieutenant in the army), lieutenant (captain in the army), frigate captain (lieutenant-colonel in the army), captain (colonel in the army), rear-admiral (brigadier-general in the army), vice-admiral (general of a division in the army).
During the present war a new rank has been created, that of corvette captain (major in the army), which comes between ensign and frigate captain. Furthermore, the age limit has been lowered for the higher ranks, with a view to rejuvenating the corps. General superior officers are henceforth pensioned off at the age of 62. for vice-admirals and at 60 for rear admirals.
(b) Men.—The men serving in the navy are recruited from among the professional sailors and fishermen, all belonging to an old institution called the °Inscription Maritime,* partly by means of voluntary engagements, or in default of this, young men conscripted in the ordinary way for the army are drafted into the navy. The corps are composed of non-professional sailors having no special profession and those having some specialty, the latter being divided up into seven categories corresponding to the various and manifold services of a warship: gabion-sailors and helmsmen, gunners, riflemen, torpedo service, electricians, mechanics and stokers, carpenter-caulkers, quartermasters, store and supply keepers. The military guard and
policing of the ship is undertaken by the marine riflemen. They form, moreover, the first ele ment for the landing companies. At the com mencement of the war they also furnished a naval brigade which so gloriously distinguished itself on the Yser. In the naval war ports there exists a special sedentary marine corps which is in exclusive charge of all matters of a nautical nature at the arsenal and its de pendencies (towing, mooring of ships, guard and upkeep of dismantled ships), as well as fire service and the. looking after of the filled defenses.
Each of the corps specialties has its own professional school and its special conditions for promotion. The hierarchy for the different rank is, however, with a few exceptions the same as for all specialties; the duly qualified sailor becomes a quartermaster (corporal in the army), second mate (sergeant), mate (sergeant major) and first mate (adjutant). Finally, there exists a special corps 'crew officers* and 'principal adjutants° which is employed ex clusively in the land services and arsenals. This is an advantageous outlet for specialty sailors who on attaining the rank of mate have been unable to enter the corps for navigating officers hut whose practical worth is recognized.
Organization of the Ministry of Marine.— The Ministry of Marine is composed essen tially of two principal organizations: High Gen eral Staff and Central Administration. The High General Staff is in charge of everything regard ing preparation for naval warfare, and in war time has charge of the carrying out of active operations. This organization has also control over the Officers' Training Schools, at least from the point of view of teaching and methods of training. The Superior School of the Navy, an academy for high naval studies, is more particularly under its direction. The Central Administration is more specially an oryraniza don for the study and execution of ministerial decisions concerning the personnel, material, arms, construction, supplies of all nature, gen eral accountancy and the Budget. These vari ous services are split up into two large depart ments, in charge of vice-admirals, that of the armed fleet (personnel and supplies) and material (construction and arming) ; the ac counts and the budget being handled more par ticularly at the Minister's cabinet.