offered to the Navy Department under various conditions, and in the
Third (New York) District alone some 350 pleasure craft adapted for
conversion into war-vessels, were taken over. Some of these were sent
overseas to join the patrol-fleet, more were kept here. Besides being
used for patrol-work, yachts were wanted for mine-sweepers, harbor
patrol-boats, despatch-boats, mine-layers, and parent-ships. They were
and are manned almost exclusively by the Naval Reserves, and operated
along the Atlantic coast under the direction of officers commanding the
following districts: First Naval District, Boston; Second Naval
District, Newport, R.I.; Third Naval District, New York City; Fourth
Naval District, Philadelphia; Fifth Naval District, Norfolk, Va.

Hundreds of sailors, fishermen, seafaring men generally, and yachtsmen
joined the Naval Coast Defense Reserve, which proved to be an extremely
popular branch of the service with college men. Most of the reserves of
this class--there were nearly 40,000 of them--were required for the
coast-patrol fleet, and they had enlisted for service in home waters.
But when the need for oversea service arose the reserves made no
objection at all to manning transports and doing duty on patrol,
mine-laying, mine-sweeping, and other craft engaged in duty in the war
zone.

In the course of taking over yachts by the Navy Department, Franklin D.
Roosevelt, who has been so efficient and untiring in his capacity as
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, charged that yachtsmen were not helping
the government, and were holding their craft for high prices. Probably
this was the case in enough instances to make Mr. Roosevelt impatient,
but it would seem that the large body of yacht-owners did their best,
not only donating their yachts to the government or selling them at a
fair price, but by themselves enlisting in the service.