districts, and the headquarters of each is placed at the chief naval port of that district called Chinjufu (naval station). Headquarters of the first naval district is at Yokosuka, the second at Kure, the third at Sasebo, the fourth at Maizuru and the fifth at Chinkai (the fifth naval district is controlled by the Sasebo-Chinfufu for the time being). There are also four Yōkōbu (secondary naval station); Bako (Pescadores Islands), Ryojun (Port Arthur), Chinkai (Korea) and Ominato (Awomori Bay).

Each Chinjufu is commanded by an admiral, who is commander-in-chief, and the following official functions are under his control: The personal staff, consisting of the chief of staff, adjutants, aide-de-camp, inspector of signal stations, recruiting officers, etc.; the arsenal (dockyards, ordnance and torpedo factory and depot, general supply stores); the accountant department (including works and buildings, - provision and clothing stores), the hospital; the naval barrack; the torpedo division; the steam reserve; port office; court-martial.

The secondary naval stations are organized on a smaller scale and have the means of small repairs for torpedo crafts, etc.

The arsenals and their present capacity is as follows: Kure-able to build armored and unarmored ships, engines and guns of any size; to furnish armor plates, torpedoes and ammunition. Yokosuka able to build armored and unarmored ships and engines of any size; and make all kinds of repairs to ships and armaments. Sasebo and Maizuru-able to build ships of moderate size and make all kinds of repairs to ships and armaments. Tokio - the manufacture of small stores for ordnance and torpedoes, and some special articles. (The arsenal at Tokio does not belong to any naval station).

Personnel. For the fiscal year ending April 1917 the number of officers and men voted for the Imperial navy was as follows: Officers, 4,773; warrant officers, 1,574; petty officers and men 65,047. Number of officers on the retired list is 1,192; number of petty officers and men in reserve, 26,882; number of naval reserve (men trained in merchant service and passed as midshipmen and petty officers) is 2,426.

The officers of the Imperial navy are divided into two classes, the executive and non-executive officers. The executive naval officers are admirals, captains, commanders, lieutenantcommanders, lieutenants, sub-lieutenants, midshipmen, naval cadets, gunners and boatswains. The non-executive naval officers are engineer officers (engineer-admiral, engineer-captain, engineer-commander, etc.); medical officers; paymasters; naval constructors; ordnance engineers; hydrographical engineers; carpenters; bandmasters and warranted writers.

Executive Officers. In the Imperial Japanese navy the naval cadets are appointed by competitive examination, which is open to the sons of all Japanese subjects. The entrance examination is held, at present, in 13 of the principal towns of the country, under the supervision of the superintendent of the Naval College. The number of cadetships available for the year having been previously gazetted by the Minister of Marine, applications are made to the superintendent of the Naval College through the local authorities within the specified limit of time. A candidate must not be under 16 or

over 20 years of age. A candidate is examined in the following subjects: Japanese composition, mathematics, English, Chinese, geography, history, physics, chemistry and drawing; also, if the candidate desires, in French, German or Russian. Successful candidates become naval cadets and join the Naval College at Yetajima, on the Inland Sea near the Kure naval station. The traveling money to the college is paid, and at the college everything is provided by the government.

The cadets remain in the Naval College three years, and are instructed in seamanship, navigation, higher mathematics, English, physics, chemistry, gunnery and torpedoes, steam engineering, etc.

After having passed the final examination successfully they are appointed to the sea-going training-ships as midshipmen. At the end of eight months' cruising the midshipmen are examined in what they have learned on board, and then transferred to different ships in commission and after four months' practical service, if favorably reported by the captain of each ship, will be commissioned as sub-lieutenant.

Promotion of naval officers is entirely by selection, and the list of candidates deserving that honor is decided upon by the board of admirals, which meets once a year. This board is composed of eight or nine members, but when sitting to decide the list of promotions, all the commanders-in-chief of naval stations and the squadrons, with the senior officers of the different branches, such as engineers and medical corps, etc., are summoned, and the Minister of Marine takes the chair. Officers of the following rank who have been on duty for the specified number of years are eligible for nomination: Sub-lieutenants, one year; lieutenants, junior grade, two years; lieutenants, five years; lieutenant-commanders, two years; commanders, two years; captains, two years; rear-admirals, three years.

Naval officers are placed on the retired list on account of age. The age-limit of the different ranks is as follows: Admirals at the age of 65; surgeons, paymasters and constructors with the rank of vice-admiral, at the age of 62; vice-admirals and engineer-vice-admirals at the age of 60; surgeons, paymasters, and constructors with the rank of rear-admiral at the age of 58; rear admirals and engineer-rearadmirals at the age of 56; surgeons paymasters and constructors with the rank of captain at the age of 54; captains, engineer-captains and hydrographical engineers with the rank of captain at the age of 52; surgeons, paymasters, constructors with the rank of commander and chief warrant officers at the age of 50; commanders, engineer-commanders, hydrographical engineers of the same rank, and warrant officers at the age of 48; surgeons, paymasters and constructors with the rank of lieutenant-commander at the age of 47; lieutenantcommanders, engineer-lieutenant-commanders and hydrographical engineers of the same rank at the age of 45; surgeons, paymasters and constructors with the rank of lieutenant at the age of 44; lieutenants, engineer-lieutenants and hydrographical engineers of the same rank at the age of 43; surgeons, paymasters and constructors with the rank of lieutenant (junior grade) at the age of 40; lieutenants (junior grade), sub-lieutenants, engineer-lieutenants

(junior grade), engineer-sub-lieutenants and hydrographical engineers of the same rank at the age of 38, all officers are placed on nonservice pension list five years after being placed on the retired list.

Engineering Officers. The appointment of engineer students is effected in the same manner as the appointment of naval cadets. The students joining the Naval College of Engineering remain three years, going through a course of advanced mathematics, physics, chemistry, theory of the steam engine, etc. They also receive practical training in the engineering workshops of the Yokosuka dockyard, receiving instruction in iron shipbuilding, the working of marine engines and boilers, the practical use of the various instruments used in the engineroom, as well as in the construction and working of electric light, torpedo and gun machinery. The students successfully passing the final examination are appointed to the seagoing training ship as engineer-midshipmen, and they get commission as engineer-sub-lieutenants in the same way as midshipmen, gaining succeeding steps of promotion, as in the case of executive officers.

Medical Officers.— Candidates for the medical branch of the navy are required to pass a medical examination before being allowed to go up for the competitive examinations. The latter include medicine, surgery, science and modern languages. Successful candidates become probationary assistant surgeons of the navy, and have to join the Navy Medical College for instruction. They remain there not less than one year, and if they pass the examination at the college successfully, are appointed to the hospitals of the different naval stations. After a certain period of time, if recommended, they are commissioned as assistant surgeons; succeeding steps of promotion are by selection. The successive grades of rank are assistant-surgeon, surgeon, staff and fleet surgeon, surgeon-inspector and surgeon-general. Surgeons and assistant surgeons are also appointed from among the graduates of the Imperial universities and medical colleges respectively.

Paymasters. Paymasters are brought up in the paymaster school, the students being selected in a similar manner as the engineer students and after three years' education at the school they become probationary assistant paymasters, and after one year practical training are commissioned as assistant paymasters, gaining succeeding steps of promotion by selection. Ranking is as follows: Assistant paymasters, paymasters, chief, staff and fleet paymasters, paymaster-inspectors and paymaster-general. The paymasters and assistant paymasters are also appointed from among the graduates of the universities and commercial colleges respectively, when vacancy occurs.

Naval Constructors.- Every year a certain number of the naval architecture students from the Imperial University can make application to become students of the navy. The expenses of the successful candidates are paid by the navy, and on being graduated they are appointed assistant naval constructors. Promotions to naval constructor, chief inspector and inspector-general of naval construction are gained by selection.

Ordnance Engineers.- Ordnance engineers are appointed in the same manner as naval constructors. Naval officers and engineers can also enter this branch by special appointment if desired.

Hydrographical Engineers.- Students in this branch are taught in the hydrographical office the theory and practice of surveys, etc., and, passing a successful examination, are appointed assistants. Assistants can acquire rank as high as that of captain. As this branch of the service can be performed by naval officers, the continuance of this department is doubtful.

Warrant Officers. The executive warrant officers are gunners and boatswains, gunners and torpedo-gunners having to have their qualification of gunnery or torpedo instructions before promotion. The non-executive branches holding relative ranks are engine-room artificers, bandmasters, carpenters, writers and nurses. They are all selected from the petty officers of their respective bodies, having served at least two years at sea. A warrant officer of more than ordinary ability can, after six years of service, be promoted to be chief warrant officer which ranks with sub-lieutenant, and chief warrant officers of long and meritorious service receive the rank of lieutenant when placed on the reserve list.

Petty Officers and Men. The petty officers and the men of the navy are divided in the same method as the warrant officers. Petty officers, with the exception of the writers, are all appointed from the men. There are three ranks in every branch-viz.: The chief or first, second and third class petty officers. The men are enlisted in two classes, the volunteers and the conscripts; the first serve for eight years, the second for four. Both classes are allowed to renew their enlistment for terms of three years until the petty officers reach the age of 45, and the men that of 40 years of age. Men appointed to be petty officers must serve six years from the day of appointment. The age of enlistment for volunteers is as follows: Seamen and stokers, 17 to 21 years; carpenters' crew, nurses, blacksmiths, etc., 17 to 26 years; bandsmen 16 to 19 years. The age of conscripts must be over 20.

Men

Examinations for the promotion of petty officers and men are held twice every year, and they are eligible for the examination if they have served at sea as follows: Petty officers. First class or chief petty officers, one and a half years as second class petty officers; second class, one year as third class petty officers; third class, one year as leading seamen. Petty officers, leading seamen or first class men, able seamen or second class men, and ordinary or third class men, are examined in April and October. Boys are examined in May and November. Boys are trained for four months in the naval barracks at each naval station, and then sent to the sea-going training-ships for two months at least before being distributed among the ships of the squadron, etc. From among able seamen and upwards to first class petty officers inclusive, a certain number of men are selected and examined to become seamen gunners and torpedo men, and the successful candidates are trained respectively at the gunnery and torpedo-training stations at Yokosuka.

There are three different courses of instruc

RELIEF MAP OF THE FIELD OF RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR From a Map Prepared by the Intelligence Bureau of the War Department of Japan