V. UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION IN EUROPE.

VI.  Y.M.C.A.  AND SIMILAR ACTIVITIES.

VII.  HOSPITAL FACILITIES, ETC.

VIII.  CONCLUDING REMARKS.

I. COOPERATION WITH THE ALLIED NAVIES IN GENERAL.

[Sidenote:  Varied character of Naval activities.]

It could hardly have been foreseen to what extent United States naval activities in Europe would accumulate, and it is a fact that it has been a growth by accretion rather than by system.  The resultant fact is that the supervision of the commander of United States Naval Forces in Europe is of great and varied scope and continues to increase from week to week.  Despite this great extent and varied character of our naval activities in Europe (as evidenced by the list given in par. 2 above) and the fact that their growth by accretion has made a highly centralized control more or less inevitable, the results speak for themselves—­all of our naval activities are cooperative in character and all of them give every evidence of performing useful and appreciated work wherever found.

[Sidenote:  Under the Allied Naval War Council.]

Cooperation with the allied navies in general is effected by means of the Allied Naval War Council, which meets monthly or as may be deemed advisable.  The membership is composed of the several naval ministers and naval chiefs of staff and of officers specifically appointed to represent them in their absence.  Vice Admiral Sims is the United States naval representative.  The secretariat of the council is composed of British officers and personnel, with officers of the allied navies designated for liaison duties therewith.

The Allied Naval Council has advisory functions only and has liaison with the Supreme War Council, with a view to coordinating and unifying allied naval effort, both as regards naval work only and as regards unity of action with military or land effort.  Proposals made by the several allied navies are considered and definite steps recommended to be taken in the premises.  As well the naval aspects of military (land) proposals are examined into and passed upon.  Conversely military (land) aspects of naval activities are referred to the Supreme War Council for consideration.

[Sidenote:  Unity of effort on land and sea.]

[Sidenote:  Council at first advisory.]

The Allied Naval Council has had, in common with the Supreme War Council, until last spring the handicap of being only advisory in function.  The conclusions are recommended to the several Governments for adoption, but there is no common instrumentality for carrying into effect measures which require cooperation or coordination.  This state of affairs in the Supreme War Council has been remedied by the appointment of an allied commander in chief in the person of Marshal Foch.

There can be no doubt but that the Supreme War Council has met and that the Allied Naval Council continues to fill a great need as a sort of clearing house for the necessarily varied proposals of the several Governments, most of which require cooperation on the part of some other Government, and certainly it should be continued in being until a more forceful control of allied naval effort can be agreed upon and brought into effect.