Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-07-04
LAST UNITS Of
AMERICAN FORCE
SAFELY LANDED
Republican A. p. Leased WIrel

tnCPupilCdH -. r. LedSe0 Wlrel
A FRENCH SEAPORT, July a.
Delayed)-The last units of the
American expeditionary forces, COM
prising vessels loaded with supplies
and horses, arrived here today amid
the screeching of whistles and
moaning of sirens. Their coming,
one week after the first troops landed
was greeted almost as warmly as the
arrival of the troops themselves be-
cause 1t meant complete success of
the undertaking.
Many of the American soldiers
crowded down to the wharf to greet
the last ships of the expedit'a IN and
the American vessels in the harbor
which had made up previous eontin-
gents of the force joined in the well
come. The late arrival of the sup
ply ships was due not only to later
departure from America but to the
fact that the vessels We're slower
than those which had come before.
The delay caused little anxiety. al
though it worked temporary incon-
venience to the troops who had been
waiting for material to work with.
The arrival of the supplies makes
training camps possible, for the
troops will need to wait only long
enough for their horses to get the
enough out of their legs as one Of
ficer expressed it today. One bat
talon leaves today for Paris to pa
rade on the Fourth of, July and leave
the following day for their perma-
nent training camp to be located be-
hind the front somewhere in France"
The departure of these troops will
be the forerunner of a general ex-
or~r~i1 fl,<
past week. although exact dates have
not yet been determined
Probably the happiest man in port
today was Rear Admiral Gleaves.
commander of the convoy. From the
bridge of his flagship he watched
the successful conclusion of his plans
with characteristic modesty and in
sisted upon bestowing the lions
share of the credit for the crossing
on the navigation officers of his COM
mand.
Stretching briefly the advance plans
whereby all units of the contingent
had to keep a daily rendezvous with
accompanying warships, he said that
thanks to his navigation officers. and
despite overcast skies. which made
astronomical observations impossible,
each rendezvous had been infinitely
and accurately kept by each unit The
oiQciS ne lSSuoQ DIT the outset, WIlrn
comprised scores of details were oh
served, the admiral declared, with
such exactness that the contingent
units and conveys invariably met
each other within a half hour of the
appointed time.
This eXXactness on the part of the
navigation officers, the admiral said
undoubtedly was responsible in no
small degree for the brilliant success
of the entire undertaking, because.
thanks to it, the troop and supply ships
were never for moment unguarded
The admiral allowed the associated
press correspondent a glimpse into
some details of the exhaustive prepa-
rations for departure from America,
which of necessity, provided against
every routine occurrence and countless
emergencies. Without going into de-
tail, he pointed out that these prepara-
tons included minutest plans about
movements, signalling and even dispos-
al of the vessels garbage, so that TO
tell-tale trail might he left.
A big contributing factor in the
crossing, according to officers of both
branches of the service, was the hearty
cooperation between the army and
navy. From the time of the departure
until the present there had been not the
SughteSt suggestion OF friction, they de-
clared, and coordination had played
its part distinctively in the success of
the expedition.
An American war department off
cial arrived here today to inspect local
conditions and report what needs exis,
that can be supplied from Washington
The officer has been making arrange
ments wherever American forces are
located or will be located in France.
The American naval officers have
utilized the few days they have been
here, to make hurried trips to Paris
and nearer French cities Today the
majority are back, ready to retsrn It.
America whenever the order may come.
All of them, however, are keenly de-
sirous of returning. to France at the
earliest, possible moment.
Many of the junior officers have ex-
pressed hope that they may gain admis-
sion to aviation schools where Ameri-
cans are being schooled in hydroaero-
planning and several have applied to the
HEADQUARTERS OF