The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-06-28

Washington. June 2s.-A brief dis patch. hot from the cables. was placed on the desks of Secretary of War and Major General Tasker N. Bli9. acting chief of Staff. yesterday morn ing.
 It was signed .'Pershing', and con- tained in the bare language of an army report historic tidings. It told that for the first time in history an American fighting force had landed on European soil to fight the battles of liberty and democracy against the crumbling old order.
 The dispatch was held in the deep- est secrecy by the three officials who knew of it's existence. This secrecy was to protect men still believed to be on the way.
 Last night reports from France had announced the safe arrival at a French port of the entire American contingent. Pershings first division of regulars, ordered to France by President wilson fat the earliest pos sible time" were on the ground
 Last night over the battle camps of Europe the American flag is flying. It is a new flag to those world old fields of war Under 1t are thousands of men from another continent and hemisphere, waiting to take their place on the front where the world is in battle
 As long as there was any danger of soldiers at sea still being inper- filed by German submarines all of ficials of the government maintained Al -f~~.k -~,~,.,xr <,<,x, iy, Q the aa- rival of the Americans in France. The rtory was generally known. It came in press dispatches from the French port at which the men arrived to the accompaniment of a frantic greeting from the French townspeop1e who hailed the new crusaders for the worlds liberty.
 Finally late in the afternoon, the committee on public information. of which George Creel is chairman, per rritted the publication, of the news. The press cables up to that time had told of the arrival of two contfngents and said that third was on the way Late reports to the war department state that the entire movement has been completed successfully and that the final contingent is now disembark- ing
 Tn official circles 1t has been an open secret for more than two weeks that the movement of the first division of regulars overseas was in progress. Under the voluntary censorship, the ; newspapers, in the interests of the rafety Of the men at sea and on of- ncial request of the government. re- trained from printing any word either of the movement of the men to the seaboard or their authorization there.
 The troops departed from a num- Der of ports on the Atlantic at diff ferent dates. The ships sailed under sealed orders These orders were opened at sea, instructed the ship captains at which point they were to rendezvous Then under the pro- tection of d swarm of fast warships. the transports made their dash throuk the war zone to the French port which had been selected for their point of decentralization
 At that port a temporary camp had been prepared for them, under direc- ton of MajGen William l.. Seibert, of Pershings staff. General Seibert } had the complete cooperation of the French officers In his work, as Gen. GIal GcF6Lln& 4d6 nd0 ILL us AGtlu- quarters in Paris
 One thing stands out sharply, de- spite 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 g new record for the transportation oi troops
 Considering the distance to be GOV cred and the fact that all prepara- tions had to be made after the order came from the White House the nighi of May l 6, it is practically certain that never before has military expedition of this size been assembled, conveyed and landed without mishap in so shor' a time by any nation. It is good augury of future achiev vernents. Int only rival in magnitude is the move ment of British troops to South Africa In the Boer War, and that was made overseas that were rnhampered D. submarines, mines or other obstacles
 The American forces will be ne gain to the Allies It will throw ns single burden of supply of equiprnen upon them The troops will be fed clothed, armed and equipped by thu United States. Around them at th' camp on French soil are being stored H SuppueS lnAC VIII keep LueIH SOllS io monthss and more will follow.
 General Pershing and his staff hay, been busy for, days preparing for th' arrival of the men, Despite the eaor nous dif11culties of unpreparedness and submarine dangers that facet them, the plans of the Army Genera Staff have gone through with clock like precision.
 When the order came to prepar immediately an expeditionary fore to go to France. virtually all of tn men now across the seas were on tn Mexican border. General Pershinl himself was at his headquarters fl San Antonio. There were no arm transports available in the Atlantic The vessels that carried the troop were scattered on their usual routes Army reserve stores were still depict ed from the border mobilization. Reg iments were below war. strength. 1. That was the condition when Pres fdent wilson decided that the plea Q the French High Commission shotl' be answered and force of regular sent at once to France. At this wors the War Department began to move Gen. Pershing was summoned quietl. to Washington. His arrival created some speculation in the press, but a the request of Secretary Baker news papers generally refrained from dis cussion of this point.
 There were tl1ccsand other activi