NAVAL RESERVE. in all the more impor tant navies, in addition to the regular forces serving continuously with the fleet, there are certain others whhli are drilled and instructed in order to be able to supplement the personnel of the fleet in time of war. 111 peace these men are largely employed in the merchant marine. in yachts. in auxiliary Government services, or are pensioners or others txho have served the requi site length of time for pension or discharge. hut are still within the limit of age. In some coun tries a portion of the naval reserves have not served either in the mercantile marine or the nays, hut receive a certain amount of train ing for such service; while in • tries in which service in the army and navy is eompulsory the greater part of the reserve is made up of men who have complet(41 the requisite length of active service with the fleet.
The naval reserve of the United States is small (about 1000 officers and men) and consists of battalions or divisions of State naval militia organized at various ports on the seacoast or the n•at Lakes. These officers and men served in the war with Spain, and. eonsidering their oppor tunities for training. they acquitted themselves with great credit and were a most important addition to the strength of the navy personnel. The defects of the system of training and organ ization were, howecer. so elect rly shown that the establishment of a national naval reserve under the direct control of the Navy Department has been under continuous consideration and is likely to he (4(41(41, espoeially as the number of 0100 likely to he obtained from the naval militia is ina(h•quate to the demands of a strong- war 11er1.
Great Britain the naval reserve vonsists of (1) the royal naval reserve, (2) the royal fleet reserve. and (3) the pensioners. on 1,
1903, the total of them three classes was 41,540 in addition. there were .1200 men in the coast-guard, who :I TP included in the regular r£ fictive of the navy. but are employed in c•nasd-guard duties. The reserves are drilled on speeial drill ships. on board vessels of the regular fleet. at variants barraeks. etc. They re eeive a small retaining pay and full pay when actually serving. The reserve of the Frenell and German navies are derived chiefly from honorably discharged men who have served the required term of enlistment and then pass into the reserve. To these may be added the men who have not yet been called upon, but who will he required to serve in time of war, such as fishermen, merchant sailors, and others pursuing such callings as are useful in the war fleet, also those who may elect to serve in the navy rather than the army. In January 1, 1903, the cirectives of the French re serve were about 50,000 in nmnber, and of the German about 74,000. The Russian naval reserve is somewhat similarly derived, but contains a greater proportion of untrained men who are unfamiliar with nautical life. Its numbers are not definitely known and the requirements of entry are being changed ; a fair estimate is 60.000—of which not more than half have re ceived much training. The Italian reserve, like those of France and Germany, consists of men who have completed the term of active service and have passed to the reserve list. The number has at times exceeded 32,000 and is now probably not less than that. See NAVIES.