The fourth Navy Bill was brought in in 1908, with the diminution of the age of the German battleship from twenty-five to twenty years as its principal aim.  As a result the number of new ships to be built by 1912 was raised from six to twelve.  The fifth and last Navy Bill was passed last year, 1912, creating a third active squadron as reserve, made up of existing vessels and three new battleships.  The German navy now consists of 41 battleships of the line, 12 large armoured cruisers, and 30 small armoured cruisers, the cruisers being for purposes of reconnaissance; the foreign-service fleet of 8 large and 10 small armoured cruisers; and an active reserve fleet of 16 battleships, 4 large and 12 small armoured cruisers.

Like sailors everywhere, the German sailor is a frank and hearty type of his race, and welcome wherever he goes.  The German naval officer is usually of middle-class extraction, while a slightly larger proportion of the officers of the army is taken from the noblesse.  He is a fine, frank, and manly fellow as a rule, and, like the Emperor, perfectly willing to admit that his navy is closely modelled on that of Great Britain.  Moreover, in addition to a thorough knowledge of his profession, he is able, in two cases out of three, to converse with useful fluency in English, French, and in some cases Italian as well.

The navy, like the army, is recruited by conscription, but active service is for three years, as in the German cavalry and artillery, while only two years in the German infantry.  Naturally young men of an adventurous turn of mind frequently elect for the navy, as they hope thereby to see something of the world.  At the end of their third year of service they may go back to civil life as reservists or may “capitulate,” that is, continue in active service for another year, and renew their “capitulation” thenceforward from year to year.  The ordinary sailor receives (since 1912) the equivalent of 14s. 6d. in cash monthly and 9s. for clothing, but when at sea additional pay of 6s. a month.  The result of the system of conscription is that about 40 per cent. of the fleet’s crews consist of what may be called seasoned sailors, the remainder being three-year conscripts.  The officer class is recruited from young men who have passed a certain school standard examination and enter the navy as cadets.  The one-year-volunteer system (Einjaehriger Dienst) only partially obtains in the navy, for purposes, namely, of coast defence and other services on land.  After two years the cadet becomes a midshipman, and with five or six other middies serves for a year or so on board ship, when he becomes a sub-lieutenant and is promoted by seniority to full lieutenant, captain-lieutenant (the English naval lieutenant with eight years’ service), corvette-captain (the English naval commander, with three stripes), frigate-captain (corresponding in rank to a lieutenant-colonel in the English army), and finally captain-at-sea (with four stripes), when he may get command of a battleship.  To reach this great object of the German naval officer’s ambition takes on an average twenty-four years, or about the same period as in the British navy.