had increased to 540,059 men and women, for it became necessary to enroll capable and patriotic women as yeomen to meet the sudden expansion and enlarged duties imposed by war conditions.

The expansion of the navy before the war began had been very great. In 1912 there were 3,094 officers, and 47,515 enlisted men. By July 1, 1916, the number enrolled was 4,293 officers and 54,234 enlisted men. Again during that year it was increased to 68,700 men, and Congress had authorized the President to augment that force to 87,800 men. On the outbreak of the war the navy was recruited to its full strength, and it was found that there were not sufficient officers for war work.

The necessary reserves were found in the Naval Militia. This organization in 1913 was under state control with no federal supervision. In 1914 a Naval Militia under federal control was created with provision for its organization and training in peace as well as its utilization in war. It, however, could not be used outside the territory limits of the United States, and to overcome this difficulty, the National Naval Volunteers were created in August, 1917. Under this act members of the Naval Militia organization were authorized to volunteer for any emergency.

Other laws, included in the same measure, provided for a reserve force,—with increase of the officer personnel in each corps to correspond with the increases in the number of enlisted men, for a Naval Flying Corps, special engineering officers and the Naval Dental and Dental Reserve Corps. It also provided for taking over the Lighthouse Division in time of war. On July 1, 1917, the number of officers was increased to 8,038, the number of enlisted men to 171,133. By April, 1918, there were 18,585 officers and 283,777 men. When the armistice was signed there were 32,452 officers and 507,607 The development of the aviation corps in the navy was even more striking. When the war began the naval aviation was still in its infancy. On July 1, 1917, there were only forty-five naval aviators. On July 1, 1918, there were 823 naval aviators, with approximately 2,052 student officers and 4,000 ground officers. In addition there were more than 7,300

men.

trained mechanics, and more than 5,400 mechanics in training. The total enlisted and commissioned personnel at this time was about 30,000 men. On the day war was declared 197 ships were in commission. On December 8, 1918, there were 2,003, which were all furnished with trained officers and men, and crews and officers for many of the new merchant marine were supplied by the navy.

The first duty of the navy after its entrance into the war was the destruction of the submarine menace.

It was the illegal warfare conducted by Germany through her submarines that brought America into the war. In her desperation Germany was attempting to blockade the coasts of France and Great Britain by the use of these treacherous craft. Unless the dangers of the submarine were overcome America would not be able to aid the Allies with either men or supplies. Her ships could not cross the ocean, and Germany would win the war. All of the energy available then for new construction was directed toward vessels to deal with the submarine menace. More than 350 one-hundred-and-ten-foot wooden submarine chasers were completed during the first year of the war. Of these, fifty were transferred to France, and fifty more were ordered to France and completed during the second year. Orders for the construction of destroyers were placed which not only used up all capacity for production for more than a year, but required a great expansion of the existing facilities.

Contracts were made for four battleships, one battle cruiser, two fuel ships, one transport, one gunboat, one ammunition ship, 223 destroyers, 58 submarines, 112 fabricated patrol vessels, including 12 for the Italian government, 92 submarine chasers, including 50 for the French government, 51 mine sweepers, 25 seagoing tugs, and 46 harbor tugs, besides a large number of lighters, barges, and other minor harbor craft. Ships launched during the year up to October, 1918, included one gunboat, 93 destroyers, 29 submarines, 26 mine sweepers, four patrol vessels, and two seagoing tugs.

There were added to the navy during the year two battleships, 36 destroyers, 28 submarines, 355 submarine chasers, 13 mine sweepers, and two seagoing tugs. There

were also added by purchase, charter, etc., many hundred other vessels of various kinds, from former German TransAtlantic liners, to harbor tug boats and motor boats. During the year 1918 the construction of large vessels was to a great extent suspended. It was indeed only continued upon vessels which had already made material progress toward completion.

One of the first forms of mobilization was the organization of a fleet of mosquito craft to patrol the Atlantic coast, and keep on the watch for submarines. Many of these boats had been private yachts, and others were especially constructed for this kind of patrol duty. Hundreds of young men from the colleges were included among those who vol unteered for this work. War zones were established along the whole coast line of the United States. The harbors were barred at night, and every endeavor made to prevent attacks by German submarines. The government also seized all wireless stations in the United States and dismantled those that the government did not need to use.

One hundred and nine German ships which had been interned in American ports were seized. The Germans had endeavored to sink these ships, or prevent them from being useful by damaging their machinery, but they were all repaired and became an important part of our transport fleet. As new vessels were constructed, it was necessary to train crews for them on a large scale. Naval camps, therefore, were established at various points. The main ones were those at League Island, Philadelphia, Newport, Cape May, Charleston, Pensacola, Key West, Mare Island, Puget Sound, Hingham, Norfolk, New Orleans, Santiago, New York Navy Yard, Great Lakes, Pelham, Hampton Roads and Gulf Port.

In connection with these camps schools in gunnery and engineering were established, and the training of gun crews by target practice became an important part of this work. Not only was this training done in connection with the big guns, but also with guns of smaller calibre, which were especially useful in the attacks that were made upon the submarine. One month after the declaration of war a division of destroyers was in European waters. By January 1, 1918, there were 113 United States naval ships across, and in October,

1918, the number had reached 338 ships of all classes. There were 5,000 officers, and 70,000 enlisted men serving in Europe, a greater force than the full strength of the navy when the United States entered the war.

The destroyers had their base at Queenstown, where every facility was provided for the comfort and recreation of the officers and men. The destroyers and patrol vessels waged an unceasing offensive warfare against the submarine. And it may be noted that the losses by submarine which had reached their highest mark in April, 1917, began to diminish on May 4, when the American destroyer fleet arrived at Queenstown. Indeed, they were thoroughly prepared when they arrived for the work before them.

The first fleet was under the command of Admiral William S. Sims. When they arrived, the British Commander who came to welcome him asked: "When will you be ready for business?"

"We can start at once," replied Admiral Sims promptly. The Americans were in fact prepared, except that their uniforms were too light for the cool climate. The appearance of the American flotilla at Queenstown being the first appearance abroad of their new ally was made a most important occasion by the English. Streets were decorated with the Stars and Stripes, moving pictures were taken by the official British government photographer, and the water front was lined with an excited crowd carrying small American flags with much cheering and great enthusiasm.

At the time of the appearance of the American fleet the danger from the German submarine was at its height. The monthly loss of merchant vessels for the Allies, and especially by Great Britain, had mounted to a dangerous point. The whole power of the American fleet, therefore, was directed against the submarine. Many new methods were used with different degrees of success. In the first place merchantmen were armed and provided with trained gun crews. cases what were called mystery ships were built, which presented the appearance of unarmed merchantmen, but which would suddenly expose a powerful armament when the submarine came within reach.

In some

The arming of the merchantmen did a great deal to lower the percentage of losses, and was bitterly resented by the Germans, as was shown in the case of Captain Charles Fryatt, a gallant British seaman and master of the steamship Brussels, who was captured by the Germans, courtmartialed and executed, because of his endeavor to fight when an officer of a merchant ship.

Merchantmen were also instructed to pursue a zigzag course if attacked, and they were kept continually informed of the presence of submarines, and the safest courses to follow. At certain points great nets were used and blockades composed of anchored mines.

The most effective means, however, of destroying the submarine seems to have been the organized efforts of the destroyers. The whole sea near Great Britain and France was divided into districts and each district carefully patrolled. When the submarine appeared its appearance was immediately reported to a central base, and destroyers were at once sent circling round the point where the submarine had been discovered. As the submarine could only travel at a certain amount of speed during a given time under water, it was possible to calculate when the locality was known about how far from that point it would be found at any later period. In course of time the submarine would be compelled to come up for air, and then it would be likely to find its foe waiting for it. When the destroyer discovered the submarine it wasted no time in maneuvering, but immediately endeavored to ram, dropping death bombs as it passed over the point where it supposed the enemy to be. These bombs were constructed to explode under water, and the force of the explosion was so great that even though the bomb did not strike the submarine, it might seriously damage it and even throw it out of the water, when it would be at the mercy of its foe.

Another effective weapon against the submarine was the plunging shell, which was fused to burst both on contact and at a certain depth beneath the water. Airplanes also and the small dirigible balloons, known as "blimps," not only aided in discovering the submarine but were able to drop bombs upon the point where they were observed. As the result