 It was intended as a propaganda film to encourage popular support for expansion of the United States Navy and was made with the Navy's cooperation and support.Fox Film's publicity promoter, Wells Hawks, may have been responsible for this arrangement, as he had previously worked in a publicity role for the Navy.Quotes praising the film were provided by several prominent members of the military for use in advertising, including General John J. Pershing and Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., the Assistant Secretary of the Navy.