other ships to destroyers, mine-layers, distilling ships,
oil ships, repair and hospital ships, with 145,000 officers and men.

The first group, completed between 1895 and 1898, includes six
battleships, all of 14,900 tons displacement, 12,000 horsepower and
2,000 tons coal capacity. The speed is 17.5 knots, the armor belt being
from 10 to 14 inches at the big guns and with a mean armor belt of 9
inches. The armament consists of 4 12-inch guns, 12 6-inch rapid fire,
16 3-inch rapid fire, 12 3-pounder rapid fire, 2 light rapid fire and 2
machine guns. They have one torpedo tube above water and two under
water.

MONSTERS OF THE SEA.

A later group of six was built in 1900 and 1902. These monsters of the
sea are of 12,950 tons displacement, 13,500 horsepower and have 2,300
tons coal capacity. They have a speed of 18.25 knots, 6 inches of armor
belt and from 8 to 12 inches protection for her big guns. The armament
consists of 4 12-inch rapid fire guns, 12 6-inch rapid fire, 10 3-inch
rapid fire and 2 light rapid fire and 2 machine guns. There are four
torpedo tubes.

Gradually England developed larger and larger vessels from this point,
increasing the displacement in each group from 16,350 tons in 1906 to
20,000 in 1911, and finally to 25,700, when the Queen Elizabeth and
Warspite were completed in 1915. These boats--England's
super-dreadnoughts--are of 58,000 horsepower (turbine), 4,000 tons oil
capacity. They have a speed of 25 knots, 13.5 inches of armor belt and
from 8 to 13.5 inches protection for the big guns. The armament consists
of 8 15-inch, 16 6-inch and 12 3-inch rapid fire guns. They have five
torpedo tubes. There were 150,609 officers and men in the navy when
England entered the war.

THE FRENCH NAVY.

At the beginning of the war the French navy ranked fourth among the
navies of the world. She had 18 battleships of the older types, and
which ranged in date of launching from 1894 to 1909. There were building
at that time eight ships of about 23,095 tons displacement. Although
France had no battle cruisers, she had 19 armored cruisers. The heavier
of these ships had a designed speed of 23 knots, and carried from 2100
to 2300 tons of coal. Their main batteries consisted of 2 7.6-inch rapid
fire and 8 6.4-inch rapid fire guns.

Two protected cruisers, the D'Entrecasteaux and the Guichen, and 10
light cruisers of no fighting importance completed the list of French
ships.

France was, however, strong,