The infantry is organized in 96 regi ments, forming 48 brigades. The entire strength is: Officers for 48 brigade commands: generals, 48; adjutant field captains, 48. Officers for 96 regiments-superior officers, 480; inferior officers, 5376. Total number of officers, 5952; total number of troops, 124,704.

Each regiment comprises a staff, 3 battalions of 3 companies each, and a depot. Of the 96 regiments, 2 are recruited from the tallest men in the country, and form the brigade of grenadiers.

The infantry is excellently armed. The Wetterly repeating rifle, improved by the Vitali system, constitutes-more especially now, after the adoption of smokeless powder, which increases both the initial velocity and the exactness of the aim-a most effective fire-arm. At present, however, a new repeating gun of small calibre is being experimented. The private of infantry is well clothed and equipped. He carries a total weight of about 25.7 kilograms, including uniform, knapsack, gun, and 88 rounds of ammunition. He is supplied with poles and canvas for the erection of triangular tents capable of receiving three or six men. The Italian infantry stands long marches, moves briskly and with ease at parade, is agile and adroit in manoeuvring. Whenever ably commanded, it has shown coolness under fire and resolution in attacking. It very properly forms a constant object of the special care of our war ministers, but, owing to its large numbers, its equipment still lacks some of the latest improvements. The staffs of the infantry are mostly men rather young in years. The superior officers and the captains are mounted, and the other regiment or company officers are of an average age which enables them to bear the fatigues of marches and manœuvres. Of the 48 brigades, that of the grenadiers and the first nine of infantry have a brilliant military history, dating from the sixteenth century. All the other brigades, with the exception of the last eight, which have never been in any war, took part in the campaigns of 1860-61 and of 1866.

The bersaglieri consist of 12 regiments, each having a staff, of 3 battalions, counting together 12 companies, and a depot. As there are 67 officers and 1270 men in each regiment, the entire strength of the 12 regiments is 804 officers and 15,240 men. The arms and equipment of the

bersaglieri do not differ from those of the infantry. The bersaglieri are chosen from among the strongest and best-proportioned men in the country, and this, together with their uniform, their bearing, and special way of manoeuvring, renders them the most picturesque and striking infantry of Europe.

In order to secure uniformity in their instruction, the bersaglieri are placed under the supervision of a general, who is assisted by a captain and a subaltern officer, and whose supervisory office ceases in time of war.

The mountain or Alpine infantry consists of 75 companies, formed into 22 battalions, and these into 7 regiments. Each regiment has a depot. The aggregate strength is represented by 487 officers and 9575 privates.

This corps, recruited solely from the population of the Alps, has special abilities for mountain service. It is armed like the infantry, but its uniform and equipment are suited to the mode of living and manoeuvring in elevated and mountainous regions. Each company in time of peace is provided with mountain artillery carried by 8 pack-mules. The Alpine soldiers have not yet received the baptism of fire, but their bold manoeuvres in the highest mountains, their hazardous and successful crossing of the most perilous passes, in spite of snow and storms, their daring ascents in the coldest winters, warrant the perfect trust that is placed in them.

The Alpine corps is also under the inspectorship of a general officer, who is assisted by a captain and a subaltern officer. It need hardly be said that these interesting troops, having in custody the gates of Italy, are naturally the most exposed to the attack of invaders, and the first to carry war outside the boundaries of their country.

The administration of the 87 military districts is assigned to the infantry. It is the business of the district in time of peace to prepare and carry out the annual recruitment, and forward to their respective regiments all the men recalled from furlough, who are to raise the infantry and the bersaglieri from peace to war footing. The districts in peace time have an adequate number of officers and privates for the keeping of matriculation books and the custody of the military storehouses containing the arms, accoutre

ments, etc., required for the mobilization of the infantry.

Eleven of the 87 districts have two permanent companies, the other 76 only one, and all together 98. These 98 companies in war time serve for the formation of as many presidiary companies.

The total force of the districts consists of 1286 officers and 8611 men. Twelve superior district commands, comprising 12 generals and 12 captains of infantry, exercise a strict supervision over the districts, and in war time, after the depart ure of the mobilized commands, take the place of the territorial army corps commanders. The commands of the districts have, furthermore, the charge of forming the cadres for the second and the third line -that is, the active and the local militia.

It will thus be seen that the districts impart to the military establishment a considerable strength; for, after furnishing the annual contingents of recruits and the cadres for the active and the local militia, they are still able, in case of protracted war, to organize other forces, until all the resources of the country are exhausted. In short, the districts constitute the sources which feed the army, and, if need be, they can even create the field organizations for the infantry.

The Italian army, as has been seen, is rich in infantry, but it cannot be said to be rich in cavalry. The increase brought to this arm by the reorganization of 1887 was limited to only 2 regiments, so that it numbers at present not more than 24 regiments of 6 squadrons each, and a depot. Of the 24 regiments, 10 are of lancers and 14 of light cavalry. The total aggregate is 1080 officers, 25,752 men, and 20,880 horses. The officers in this arm, like nearly every mounted officer in the other departments, have horses of their own. They are generally well mounted, and make bold and elegant riders. Every year the love for equestrian sport increases. The cavalry regiments form 9 brigades of 2 or 3 regiments each, and are subject to the supervision of an inspector-general of cavalry. The superior commands comprise 10 general officers, 1 superior officer, and 11 captains.

The artillery, which of late years has so wonderfully developed in every European army, was in 1887 considerably augmented also in Italy. The 12 regiments which, under Ferrero's administration,

were to furnish the batteries, one regiment to each army corps in case of mobilization, had, as we have said, too difficult a task, especially as they were obliged to provide not only to the mobilization of the regular batteries, but also to the constitution of the batteries of the second and of the third line. Consequently, to increase the artillery in the army corps, it was necessary to lighten the burden of the regiments by increasing their number. This was done by the reorganization of 1887, so that at present the artillery consists of 24 field regiments, 12 of which are divisional, and are to furnish batteries of 9-centimetre calibre to the divisions, to the number of 4 for each division. These 12 divisional regiments comprise 564 officers and 10,848 men, with 5136 troop-horses. The organization consists of a staff, 8 batteries forming 2 brigades, 1 train company, and a depot. The other 12 regiments have likewise 8 batteries, 4 of which are of 9-centimetre calibre, 4 of 7-centimetre calibre, a depot, and 2 train companies instead of 1. Total strength, 636 officers, 11,964 men, 5496 horses. These regiments are called army corps regiments, as they have charge of the mobilization of the artillery of the army corps.

The organization of 1887 also increased the strength of the cavalry divisions by adding 2 new horse batteries to the 4 already in existence, and bringing all the 6 into one regiment, to which belong also 4 train companies and a depot. The total amounts to 64 officers, 1170 men, and 651 troop-horses. The horse batteries, all of 7-centimetre calibre, are perfectly mounted and really splendid.

An addition of 1 battery was made to the previous 8 mountain batteries, and a regiment was thus formed for mountain service with 9 batteries and a depot. These batteries have a 7-centimetre calibre. The regiment consists of 59 officers, 1198 soldiers, and 521 mules and horses.

The garrison artillery comprises 5 regiments, each of from 12 to 16 companies, making together 68 companies, and a depot. The officers of the corps are 293, and the privates 7266. To these must be added 5 artificer companies, aggregating 500 men and 15 officers.

The high direction of the instruction of the arm is intrusted to an inspectorate general, consisting of 6 generals, assisted by 12 captains. These oversee the various special departments of the arm and