rld food shortage. The
demands after the war were greater than they had been during the
conflict but the nation that had fed the allies of civilization in war
time performed the task of feeding the world, friend and foe alike, when
peace at length came upon the earth.

CHAPTER XXXV

THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN THE WAR

Long before war was declared the United States Government had been
engaged in preparation. It had realized that unrestricted submarine
warfare was sure to lead to war, and though for a time it was preserving
what it was pleased to call "an armed neutrality" the President
doubtless was well aware what such an "armed neutrality" would lead to.
Merchant ships were being armed for protection against the submarine,
and crews from the Navy assigned to work the guns. The first collision
was sure to mean an active state of war. The Naval Department,
therefore, was working at full speed, getting the Navy ready for active
service as soon as war should be declared.

Secretary Daniels made every effort to obtain the crews that were
necessary to man the new ships which were being fully commissioned with
the greatest possible speed and called upon newspapers all through the
country to do their utmost to stimulate enlistment.

On March 26th President Wilson issued an order increasing the enlisted
strength of the United States Marine Corps to 17,400 men, the limit
allowed under the law. On March 29th a hundred and three ensigns were
graduated from the Naval Academy three months ahead of their time, and
on April 6th, as soon as war was declared, the Navy was mobilized.

Within a few minutes after Secretary Daniels had signed the order for
this purpose one hundred code messages were sent out from the office of
Admiral W. S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, which placed the Navy
on a war basis, and put into the control of the Navy Department the
naval militia of all the states as well as the Naval Reserves and the
Coast Guard Service. In the Naval Militia were about 584 officers, and
7,933 men. These were at once assembled and assigned to coast patrol
service. All of the ships that were in active commission in the Navy
were already ready for duty. But there were reserve battleships and
reserve destroyers, besides ships which had been out of commission which
had to be manned as quickly as possible.

At the beginning of the war there were 361 vessels ready for service,
including twelve first-line battleships, twen