 By Act of Congress on 28 January 1915 the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service merged with the United States Life-Saving Service to form the United States Coast Guard.After 28 January 1915 all cutter names prefixed with "USRC" were changed to "USCGC;" thus, USRC "Itasca" became USCGC "Itasca".On 6 April 1917, the day the United States entered World War I when the U.S. Congress declared war on Germany, "Itasca" was in the harbor at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and prevented the interned Imperial German Navy tender "KD-III" from being scuttled by her crew.