Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-28
ADVANCE GUARD
OF MIGHTY ARMY
MAKES SAFETR|P
Soldiers, Eager for Action,
Received With Fran
tic Cheers.
VOYAGE MADE IN DEFIANCE
OF GERMAN SUBMARINES
Movement of Great Expedition,
in Such Short Time, Sets
New Record.
-
CARRY PLANS OUT PERFECTLY
U. q War Vessels Sweep Free Sea
Lanes and Guard Her ia
Troopships.
tBy Associated press1

WASHINGTON. June 27-The adj
vance guard of the mighty army the
United States is preparing to send
against Germany is on French soil ia.
night
In defiance of the German subma-
rines, thousands of seasoned regulars
and marines. trained fighting men with
the tan OF long service on the Mexican
border or In Haiti or Santo Domingo
sun on their faces. have been fastened
overseas to fight beside the French, the
British, the Belgian. the Russian, the
Portuguese and the Italian troops on
the western front.
News of the safe arrival of the troopa
sent new thrill through Washington.
No formal announcement came from
the War Department. None will come.
probably. until Major-General Perish
ings official report has been received.
Then there may be a statement as to
the numbers and composition of tho
advance guard.
Press dispatches from France. pre-
sumaoly sent forward with the. an.
provalof General PershinE's staff, shov
that Major-General Sibert, one of the
new ,mnjor-generals of the army, has
been given command of the first force
sent abroad. under General Pershine as
commander-in-c chief Of the expedition.
One thing stands out sharply. despite
the fact that the size OF the task that
has been accomplished Is not fully re-
vealed as yet. This Is that American
enterprise has set a new record for tho
transportation OF troops.
ORDERS FOR EXPEDITION
ISSUED ON MAY Is
Considering the distance to be COW
cred and the fact that all preparations
had to be made after the order came
from the White House the night of May
is. it is practically certain that never
before has a military expedition of this
size been assembled. conveyed and
landed without mishap in SO short a
time by any nation. The only rival in
magnitude is the movement of British
troops to South Africa in the Boer War,
and that was made over seas that were
unhampered by submarines. mines or
other obstacles.
The American forces will be Aed,
clothed. armed and equipped by the
United States. Around them at tho
camp on French soil tonight are being
stored supplies that will keep them
going for months. and moro will. fol-
low.
General Pershins and his stan have
cSS'A ooSS hoi odJS preparing the
arrival OF the men. Despite the enor-
nous difficulties of unpreparedness and
submarine dangers that faced them. the
plans of the army general staff have
gone through with clocklike precision
When the order came to prepare i'm
mediately an eNpeditionary force to go
to France virtually all OF the men now
across the seas were on the Mexican
border. General Pershing himself was
at his headquarters in San Antonio.
There were no army transports avail
able In the Atlantic. The vessels that
carried the troops were scattered on
their usual routes. Army reserve
stores were still depleted from the
border mobilization. Regiments were
below war strength.
That was the condition when Prea-
dent Wilson decided that tho plea ,of
the French high commission should be
answered and a force OF regulars sent
at once to France. At his word the
War Department began to move. Gen.
eral Pershing was summoned quietly to
Washington.
THOUSAND ACTIVITIES ON .
FOOT AT THAT rIsiH
There were a thousand activities on
foot in the department at the time.
All the business OF preparing for the
registration of 100000 men. of pro-
viding quarters and instructors for
nearly $4,000 prospective officers, for
finding arms and equipment for mill
hons OF troops yet to be organized, OF
expanding the regular army to full war
strength. OF preparing and recruiting
the National Guard for war was at
hand.
General Pershng dropped quietly
into the department and set UP the
first headquarters OF the American ex-
peditionary forces in little ONCE
hardly large enough to hold himself
and his personal stan. There. with
the aid Of tho gneral stan. of Secre-
tary Baker and OF the chiefs Of the
War Department bureaus. the plans
were worked out. ssa(s
Announcement Of the sending of
forces under General Pershink was
made on May IS. There came q day
when General PershinE was no lonses
in the department.. Ofioers OF the gen.
eral STAFF suddenly were missing from
.heir desks. No word OF thhs was re- \