DIRECTOR S REPORT. 141 



VI. THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT 



JANUARY i, 1918 

 To THE TRUSTEES OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY: 



Gentlemen: I beg to present herewith a report of the thirtieth 

 session of the Marine Biological Laboratory covering the year 

 1917. Shortly after our country was forced by Germany into a 

 state of war, the suggestion came from several sources that the 

 use of the buildings and equipment of the Marine Biological 

 Laboratory should be offered to the Navy Department for the 

 duration of the war, owing to the evident strategic position of 

 Woods Hole with reference to naval operations. After some 

 consultation the Director decided to write Secretary Daniels 

 offering to recommend to the Board of Trustees that the property 

 and equipment of the Laboratory should be placed at the disposal 

 of the Navy for the duration of the war. It seemed important 

 that the matter should come before the Secretary of the Navy in 

 such a way that he would not fail to recognize the significance of 

 the scientific work that would be displaced. It was therefore 

 arranged through one of our number that the letter should be 

 presented personally to Secretary Daniels by one of the assistant 

 secretaries of the War Department. This was accordingly done. 

 Secretary Daniels returned his thanks for the offer and stated 

 that on account of the importance of the scientific work being 

 accomplished by the men at the Laboratory, he hesitated to 

 accept it, and that the Navy would not take advantage of the 

 offer except under the greatest military necessity, and would not 

 disturb us during the approaching summer. 



In the course of the summer it was decided by the Navy De- 

 partment to subdivide the coast defence work of the Second Naval 

 District with headquarters at Newport among a number of sub- 

 districts or sections and to locate the headquarters of subdistrict 

 A at Woods Hole. H. F. Emmons was placed in command of 

 this section. In the early part of the summer the Director of 

 the Laboratory had several conversations with Commander 

 Emmons which resulted in an agreement to furnish board and 

 lodging to as many members of his corps as was possible up to 



