Admiral Benson, going abroad in 1917, took part in the organization of the Allied Naval Council, and urged a more vigorous offensive, which we had favored from our entrance into the war. Months before, Admiral Benson had prepared, and I had approved and sent to the British Admiralty, "proposed measures to prevent German submarines from operating against Allied commerce in the Atlantic," which pointed out the following courses which were open to us: We may attempt to-- (a) Reduce the Heligoland region and close exits for submarines. (b) Reduce the Zeebrugge region and close exits for submarines. (c) Enter the Baltic and close exits for submarines from the Baltic bases. (d) Prevent Danish and Dutch territory being used for submarine bases. (e) Construct and maintain mine barriers about the Heligoland area. (f) Construct and maintain a mine barrier in the Skagerrack or Kattegat. (g) Construct and maintain mine barriers in the Zeebrugge region. (h) Construct and maintain a mine barrier across the North Sea. (i) Close Dover straits to submarines by a mine barrier and surface patrol. These matters were discussed by Benson with officers of the British Admiralty, and the methods and the difficulties of carrying them out were considered. Speaking, sometime after the war, of the offensive plans he advocated, Benson said: I think that the bases of the German submarines should have been attacked, and I so urged when the war was in progress; and one of my conferences with the British Admiralty in London in 1917 was to urge more active operations against the bases of the submarines. But it was an operation that had to be not only a concerted action, but the principal part of it would have been necessary to be taken by the Allies, we simply to add our part to it; and all during the summer of 1917, I urged active operations of that kind and could never understand why we did not get definite plans from the other side as to how such operation should be carried out. While in London I agreed with Admiral Jellicoe on a plan, a very confidential plan, that was to be carried out later on, in which I not only volunteered to place our ships but insisted that our ships should be placed there. During Benson's absence from Washington, Captain (later Admiral) W. V. Pratt in both 1917 and 1918 acted as Chief of Operations. In the discharge of that duty, as well as Assistant Chief of Operations, succeeding Captain Volney Chase, who died in the summer of 1917, Admiral Pratt demonstrated ability unsurpassed by any officer serving in any important position during the World war. When Captain Pratt later was ordered to sea, Admiral Josiah S. McKean, who had served with marked ability as Chief of Material during the war, became Acting Chief of Operations and added to his well-earned reputation.