At Kiel a Naval Institute has been established on the same principles as the Greenwich Royal Naval College, for the benefit of officers of higher rank than cadet. Officers as high as the grade of Captain are admitted for a course of two years. By this means the standard of general efficiency is raised. Officers receive instruction in all branches of their profession.
The men of the fleet are divided into two divisions, one being stationed at Kiel and the other at Wilhelmshaven. Each division is subdivided into two classes. To pass from the second to the first class, good conduct, a service at sea of 48 months, and a certificate of complete instruction is required. The men of the first class receive a higher pay and form the body of the petty officers of the fleet.
Firemen and coal-heavers may, by proper application, pass through the grades of Machinist to the Corps of Engineer Machinists. In general the Machinists are all drawn from apprentices of that class.
The Germans are just commencing the introduction of permanent foreign squadrons.
Holland.
The King of Holland is Commander-in-Chief of the Dutch Navy, the Crown Prince being Rear-Admiral and Chief of Staff. The navy is represented in the Cabinet by a civilian Minister of Marine, the central control being divided into sections and bureaus in a similar manner to that of other European nations. The general administration is centralized at four dock-yard stations—Amsterdam, Willemsoord, Hellevoetsluis, and Fijenoord—Amsterdam being the principal building-yard, and Fijenoord being the boiler and engine factory.
The grades of the Dutch Navy correspond with those of other services, the names of those of the executive corps being:
| Luitenant-Admiraal. | ||
| Vice-Admiraal. | ||
| Schout-bij-Nacht. | ||
| Kapitein ter Zee. | ||
| Kapitein Luitenant ter Zee. | ||
| Luitenant ter Zee 1ᵉ klasse. | ||
| Luitenant ter Zee 2ᵉ klasse. | ||
| Adelborst |  | 1ᵉ klasse. |
| 2ᵉ klasse. | ||
| 3ᵉ klasse. | ||
In addition to the dock-yard at Amsterdam there is a Naval School and school-ships for the instruction of seamen and apprentices. At Hellevoetsluis there is a school for machinists. Great attention is paid in Holland to the development of torpedo instruction, a special corps of officers being drawn from the executive corps.
The cadre of the navy is filled from both volunteer and inscription methods, the latter resembling the French. This cadre amounts to 788 officers and 6426 men, not including 1000 native sailors and 600 marines in the East Indian local service.