FOOT CARABINEER.

the manufacture of the materials for the artillery. There are, besides, 4 commands for the field artillery and 2 for the garrison artillery, directed by general officers. The engineer corps is constituted as follows: 4 regiments with 43 companies of sappers, 6 of telegraphists, 10 of pontoniers, 4 of railroad men, 1 for balloon and photo-electric service, and 8 train companies. The 4 regiments number together 245 officers, 8018 privates, and 562 troop-horses.

The sanitary department is under the

charge of a military medical inspector, and consists of 12 territorial sanitary directorates, 12 sanitary companies, and of military hospitals. The entire department comprises 205 medical officers, 91 pharmacists, 94 clerks, and 2295 men.

For the supply service there are 12 supply companies with 169 officers and 2238 privates, and a commissariat consisting of 12 territorial commissariat directorates, 3 central military storehouses, a factory of military accoutrements, and a "revision office" for the examination and verification of military accounts, with a total force of 366 officers.

The cartographic service is intrusted to the Geographical Military Institute. This is divided in two sections, the one having administrative and supervisory functions, the other executive. The former has 21 army officers under the high guidance of the chief of the general staff of the army, and the latter has 11 geographical engineers and 110 topographists. The Geographical Military Institute has done very important work in the geodetical field, has produced excellent topographical maps, among them the great one of Italy on a scale of 000 and of 100000, besides many special works of military or scientific interest.

The present sketch of the Italian military organization would be incomplete without a mention of those institutions which are designed for the recruitment and instruction of officers.

For sublieutenants there are some school platoons detailed by certain regiments of the several arms of infantry, bersaglieri, cavalry, and artillery, besides a school company for garrison artillery. A special academy at Caserta furnishes instruction to those sublieutenants who seek promotion to a lieutenancy in the field army or in its administration.

So likewise there are school platoons in some specified regiments of the several arms for the recruitment and instruction of officers. Then five military academies, at Milan, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Messina, give college education to young men whose families wish them to be prepared to follow the military profession. The Military School of Modena prepares young men for sublieutenancies in the infantry, cavalry, or the commissariat, while the Military Academy of Turin does the same as to the arms of artillery and the engineers.

Until the year 1885, Italy had no colonies, and consequently no colonial troops. For the military expedition to Massowah, which took place in the winter of 1884-5, the war administration organized a small army, mostly with furlough men drawn from the standing army. But in 1887 a special corps for the permanent occupation of Massowah and its dependencies was created under the special law of July 18, 1887.

This corps, which was to be considered as part of the national standing army, consisted originally of a colonial military command, a staff with all dependent services, 2 regiments of infantry, each of 3 battalions of 3 companies each, 1 squadron of horse chasseurs, 4 artillery companies, 1 supply and 1 train company.

These troops were recruited from among the men in active service who made special application, and also, in given proportions, from among furlough men of the first category. Their engagement was for a term of 4 years; rescindable, however, after 2 years, upon their demand. At the end of every two-years' term each soldier was entitled to a premium of 1000 francs. The officers were drawn from those of the standing army, either in actual service or on furlough.

The strength of the corps was 238 officers, 4762 men, 134 horses for the officers, and 322 horses and mules for the troops.

In June, 1889, a military corps of African natives was also instituted, which varied in size from time to time, as circumstances required, and which, under the command of Italian officers, has done excellent service.

The adaptability to the adverse climate shown thus far by the Italian troops encourages the hope that Italy may succeed in opening up to civilization that part of the Dark Continent which has come under her influence. At any rate, no such task would have been undertaken by Italy but for the existence of her army; and her army was also the starting-point of that triple alliance which has thus far secured to Europe the blessings of peace. The condition of the Italian garrisons in Africa having become safer, especially in consequence of a treaty concluded by Italy with Abyssinia after the death of Negus John, the colonial army, already reduced by decree of June 20, 1889, was

28, 1890, so that it at present consists of 2 battalions of chasseurs and 1 of bersaglieri, 1 mountain battery, 1 company of cannoneers, 1 of artillery artificers, 2 of engineers, 1 of the sanitary, 1 of the supply, and 1 of the train corps. The entire strength is 105 officers, 3208 men, 72 horses for officers, and 357 for troops. The mode of enlistment has not been changed.

On June 30, 1889, the military corps of natives was thus organized: 4 battalions of infantry of 4 companies each, 1 squadron of scouts, 1 mountain battery, 2" bolucks," 1 "orta" of several companies for service in the interior. Total strength, about 4000.

But by the reorganization decree of September 3, 1890, the same corps was formed into 6 battalions of infantry of 4 companies each, 2 squadrons of cavalry, and 1 field battery, making together 104 Italian and 48 native officers, 108 men from the Italian army, 5287 natives, 174 horses for officers, and 669 for the troops.

This colonial corps has been found to answer perfectly the ends of the occupation, and its troops being naturally used to the torrid climate, it is not unlikely that, if necessary, it may be sooner or later increased, thus allowing a further reduction in the Italian corps.

Having thus far described the military establishment of Italy in its constitution and elements, let us now locate it; or, in other words, let us see how it is distributed among the different provinces of the kingdom in time of peace.

The mode of distribution is determined partly by the exigencies of the home policy of the state and the existing facilities for the convenient quartering of troops; but, above all, by the needs of the defence of the country against foreign enemies. In this latter respect the geographical position of the kingdom in relation to its neighboring states, and the peculiar configuration of the territory, so narrow, and at the same time so excessively long, are circumstances of controlling importance. The land communications of Italy with the neighboring states all terminate in the valley of the Po. The area of that valley hardly exceeds one-third of that of the territory of the whole state, while the remaining twothirds are surrounded by the sea. Hence the land forces are assigned in the in

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verse ratio, that is, nearly two-thirds to northern Italy, and little more than onethird to the peninsula proper and the islands.

So, likewise, of the 12 territorial army corps commands, not less than 6 are in the north, viz., at Turin, Alessandria, Milan, Piacenza, Verona, Bologna: 5 are scattered all over the rest of the country, viz., at Florence, Ancona, Rome, Naples, Bari, and the 12th is at Palermo.

Nature has clearly defined the principal zone of military stations in the event of war with any of the neighboring states, but it has at the same time, by the length and the mountainous structure of the peninsula, created many hinderances to

the rapid transportation of troops from the south towards the north. Therefore the organizers of the Italian army acted wisely in stationing permanently in the northern part of Italy a military strength far superior to that which would have belonged to it in proportion to its territory alone.

The active militia is organized as follows: Infantry, 48 regiments of 3 battalions of 4 companies each; bersaglieri, 18 battalions, each of 4 companies; Alpine troops, 22 companies. The centres of formation for the infantry and the bersaglieri are the districts; for the Alpine troops, the respective battalions.

The artillery of the active militia consists of 52 field batteries of 6 pieces each; 9 mountain batteries, also of 6 pieces each; 36 garrison artillery companies; 14 train companies. The centres of formation for the various units of this artillery are the artillery regiments of the permanent army.

The active militia engineer corps is formed into 21 companies of sappers, 2 companies of railroad men, 3 companies of telegraphists, 5 companies of pontoniers, 4 companies of train. The centres of formation are those of the active army engineer regiments.

To the above corps must be added 12 sanitary service and 12 supply service companies.

The divisions that can be formed with the above elements, and that can be mobilized to re-enforce the 12 army corps of