ensive and defensive measures against enemy
submarines in the Western Atlantic.

3. Assignment to duty and the despatch abroad of naval vessels for
operations in the war zone in conjunction with the naval forces of our
allies.

4. Assignment to duty and operation of naval vessels to increase the
force in home waters. Despatch abroad of miscellaneous craft for the
army.

5. Protection of these craft en route.

6. Protection of vessels engaged in coastwise trade.

7. Salvaging and assisting vessels in distress, whether from maritime
causes or from the operations of the enemy.

8. Protection of oil supplies from the Gulf.

In order to carry out successfully and speedily all these duties large
increases in personnel, in ships of all classes and in the
instrumentalities needed for their production and service were demanded.
Briefly, then, it may be stated that on the day war was declared the
enlistment and enrollment of the navy numbered 65,777 men. On the day
Germany signed the armistice it had increased to 497,030 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. This expansion has been progressive. In 1912 there were
3,094 officers and 47,515 enlisted men; by July 1, 1916, the number had
grown to 4,293 officers and 54,234 enlisted men, and again in that year
to 68,700 in all. In granting the increase Congress authorized the
President in his discretion to augment that force to 87,800. Immediately
on the outbreak of the war the navy was recruited to that strength, but
it was found that under the provisions of our laws there were not
sufficient officers in the upper grades of the navy to do the war work.
At the same time the lessons of the war showed it was impossible to have
the combatant ships of the navy ready for instant war service unless the
ships had their full personnel on board and that personnel was highly
trained.

In addition to this permanent strength recourse was had to the
development of the existing reserves and to the creation of a new force.

NAVAL VOLUNTEERS

Up to 1913 the only organization that made any pretense of training men
for the navy was the Naval Militia, and that was under State control,
with practically no Federal supervision. As the militia seemed to offer
the only means of producing a trained reserve, steps were at once taken
to put it on a sound basis, and on Februa