lishment has necessitated a great
increase in facilities for the assembling, housing, and distribution of
stores, and these needs have been largely met at Boston, Philadelphia,
and Hampton Roads by large emergency and permanent constructions.

In the Commissary Department the effort has been to see that the naval
forces continue to be what the surgeon-general has stated they are: the
"best fed body of men in the world." Sailors are no poison squad, and
all efforts to try upon the officers and seamen of the force any
experimental or test food have been rigorously suppressed. The high cost
of living has been reflected in the cost of the navy ration, but the
price has been met. There were clothing shortages during the early weeks
of the war, but prompt and efficient action by the Bureau of Supplies
and Accounts has remedied all this.

Fuel for the navy has been handled by means of allotments placed with
the principal operators in coal-producing States, the prices being fixed
by the Fuel Administrator. The navy's stocks of fuel have been
maintained to capacity, and shipments have been made to the fleet within
the time required in all cases. Fuel oil has been obtained in similar
manner at the prices fixed by the Federal Trade Commission. The Medical
Department of the navy passed quietly from a peace to a war footing on
April 6, 1917, and has since continued to give adequate and satisfactory
service. With the completion of a hospital ship now building, the navy
will have four hospital ships as against one when war began. Prior to
the war there were about 375 medical officers on duty. There are to-day
1,675 medical officers in active service, and 200 more on reserve. Where
30 dental surgeons were formerly employed there are now 245. The number
of female nurses has increased from 160 to 880.

The President at the outbreak of war directed the Navy Department to
take over such radio-stations as might be required for naval
communications, all others being closed. Fifty-three commercial
radio-stations were thus taken into the Naval Communication Service.
Because of duplications, twenty-eight of these stations were closed.
Thousands of small amateur radio-stations were closed. At present no
radio communication is permitted on United States territory (not
including Alaska), except through stations operated by the Navy
Communication Department or by the War Department,

With the need of operators apparent, a school for preliminary