Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-06-28

Washington. June 2.-The advance
guard of the mighty army the United
States Is preparing to send against Ger
many is on French soil tonight. In
defiance of the German submarines, thou
sands Of seasoned regulars and marines,
trained fighting men with the tan of long
service on the Mexican border, or In
Haiti or Santo Domingo, still on their
faces. have been hastened 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 troops
sent n new thrill through Washington.
No formal announcement came from the
war department None will come. prob
ably. until Major-General Pcrshine's OFF,
cial report has been received. Then there
may be statement as to the numbers
and composition of the advance guard.
S1BERT COMMANDS FIRST FORCE.
Press dispatches from France. presum-
ably sent forward with the approval of
General Pershing's staff. show that
Mator-General Sibert. one of the new
major generals Of the army. has been
given command Of the first force sent
abroad. under General Pershing as com.
mander-in-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 revealed as
yet This is that American enterprise has
set a new record for the transportation
Of troops.
MILITARY FEAT UNEQUALLED.
Considering the distance to be covered
and the fact that all preparations had tc
be made after the order came from the
White House the night Of May IS, It IL
practically certain that never before has
military expedition Of this size been as.
| sembled, conveyed and landed without
rnishap in 40 short a time by any nation
1t is good augury Of future achieve.
| ments. The only rival in magnitude is the
| movement Of British troops to South Az.
rica in the Boer war. and that was made
over seas unhampered by submarines
/ mines or other obstacles.
NET GAIN TO THE ALLIES.
The American forces will be a net gain
to the allies. 1t will throw no single bur.
I.de1 Of supply or equipment upon them
The troops will be fed. clothed, armed and
equipped by the United States. Around
| them at the camp on French soil tonight
are being stored supplies that will keer
| them going for months and more to fol.
| low.
General Pershng and his staff have
been busy for days preparing for the
! arrival Of the men. Despite the enormous
dimculties of unpreparedness and sub
marine dangers that faced them, the
plans Of the army general staff have gone
| through with clock-like precision.
When the order came to prepare imme
diately an expeditionary force to go tc
France. virtually all of the mon nov
| across the seas were on the Mexican
border. General Pershing himself was
at his headquarters in San Antonio
| There were no army transports available
in the Atlantic. The vessels that carried
| the troops were scattered on their usua
routes. Army reserve stores were still
depleted from the border mobilization
Regiments were below war strength.
That was the condition when President
Wilson decided that the plea of the
French high commission should he an
swered and a force of regulars sent Al
once to France. At this word the war de-
partment began to move. General Perish
ing was summoned quietly to Washing
ton. His arrival created some specula
ton in the press. but at the request o.
Secretary Baker. the newspapers gen
orally refrained from discussion of thil
point.
There were n thousand other activitie!
afoot in the department at the time. AL
the business of preparing for the militar,