‘A vigorous attack on the administration of the French Navy
was made in the Chamber on Thursday by Admiral Bienalme, formerly Naval Prefect of Toulon. The succession of naval disaiteri, culminating in that of the 'Una,' which be attributed to culpable negligence in regard to the storing of powder, had shaken the confidence of the public. He declared that. there bad been a deplorable waste of money in the cruller class, condemned the frequent changes in the boilers of : the torpedo-boats, drew a disquieting picture of the divergence of views between the corps of naval engineers and the department of artillery, and concluded a pessimistic speech by reading a letter from Commandant Adigard, who lost :his life in the 'Iena" disaster, in which, ' writing only a month ago,' that officer said they were witneasing the bank- ruptcy of the Navy, and declared that be was thinking 'of resigning his commission in view of the overwhelming responsibilities'of his position. M. Thomson, the Minister of Marine, vindicated the Admiralty, and stated that it was unjust to affirm that officers on active service were not given tbe.place theyliad a right to claim: The causes of the 'Dina' disaeter were as yet unknown, but the Admiralty would shirk no efforts to elicit the truth and punish those who were responsible. He protested against Admiral Bienalmes pessimism, and asserted that there was no discouragement in the Navy. Admiral Bienaim6 is a Nationalist, but his speech clearly made a great impression on the Chamber, which approved of his demand for inquiry, and decided to appoint immediately a Commission of twenty-two 'Members to investi- gate the whole question of the state of the French Navy.
