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Show I seven or eight years ago. The Magenta ! is tlia only one of the three that has even ' yet been launched. Tho present French building pro-gramine pro-gramine calls for ten first clans battle ships. If they aro completed by VM) France will have broken all her previous records. Three wero to be laid down during 1KU0. A midden change in the naval administration ma)' postpone their , completion indefinitely. Tho latest additions to tho French navy are tho Marceau and the Neptune, tho Magenta, just launched, and the Jloohe, which has been completed about a year. Tho latter vestal differs from the other three in several essential points, but the changes were introduced in building. They wero laid down from tho same designs. A good idea of the Magenta, Marce.iu, Koptuuo class may be obtained from tho following li.-t of their features: Their length is 3;:0 feet, beam (mJ, feet draught H feet, displacement 10.5SU tons. The M inor consi.-ts of a complete water lino bolt of I7J inches maximum thickness, and four barbette gun towers of 15J inches. Tlie battery id -1 IX 1 inch 1 breech loading rifled guns anil 17 5.5 inch rapid fire guns. Their estimated speed is 17J knots and coal capacity lioo tons These three ships were all laid down in lS.su, and as none is yet actually complete, they are additional examples of the slow ship construction iu tho ! French navy. New York Herald. The French Jfavy. France is the slowest sriipbuilder anions the naval powers. The frequent ; changes in tho head of the French naval ; department have brought iij., officers (the , French minister of marine is always a I naval officer) of widely different views. , Work on vessels not embodying the j ideas of a new chief was stopped upon j Ids assuming control of affairs uud awaited await-ed tho coining of another man. A fair 1 sample of this is the Courbet, formerly ! called tho Foudroyant. This vessel, i laid down in 1870, was completed in ! 1HM. The Magenta, the Charles Mar- ' ltd and the Breuuiw were laid down j |