Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-04
War and Naoy Depart
ments in Mental Terror
Since Premature Publ
cation Was Made.
IBy Associated Press.l

10y ASSoclatcd lresS.
WASHINGTON. July 3.-The contin-
gent which arrived in France to-day,
completing the first movement of Amer
lean troops overseas. was made up of
the men who took passage in slower
boats.
IT was for them the government
feared most. as their ships, through
lack of speed. were the most defense
less against submarines. 1t was for
this reason that the War and Navy
Departments have been in a mental
terror since premature publication was
made several days ago by permission
OF the committee on public information
of the arrival of the first contingents
of troops.
LEAK OF IMPORTATION
TO BE INVESTIGA
And then there is another thing-a
vicious thing-that an immediate In
vestigation is to delve into. 1t reaches
into the very heart of the navy, for
otherwise German submarines would nut
have been able to know that American
troops we're coming. and would not
nave Known the course they were
taking on the sea. SO as to be able to
lie in hlue-water ambush for them
FAR outside the boundaries of the ordi-
nary danger zone
How this information was obtained,
by whom and how 1t was sent TO Ger
many. in order that a feet Of iubma-
rines might be sent out 10 wayla. and
slaughter the American troops and cast
a chill of terror throughout the Amer
lean nation-example of German fright
fulness-is what the investigation is
to determine. How another fotilla of
German submarines could know the
port for which the American ships were
bound. so as to lie in the right spot
within the submarine zone and attack
another contingent. is further proof.
according to the belief here tonight.
of leak of government secrets which
imperils the life of every American
sailor and soldier who sails the high
seas
Nice-Admiral William s. Sims. in
command of the American ships i'm
European waters. and Rear-Admiral
Albert Gleaves. in direct command Of the
destroyer fiotilla. are the men to whom
credit for bringing the American troops
safely through must he given. Behind
the scenes is Rear-Admiral Benson.
chief OF operations. who planned out
the entire expedition and every detail
of it. He is the man who told the
others what to do.
STORY OF EXPEDITION
is TOLD FOR FIRST TIME
And here is the story OF the whole
expedition. now permitted to be pub
lished for the first time:
The regulars and marines who COM
moved from their various posts to the
seaboard with the utmost secrecy. Not
a word OF what was going on was
printed anywhere. Even men in the
service did not know their comrades
in the next tent were going away, or
where they had gone after they went.
The force is made up of trained and
seasoned men. the troopers. veterans of
Mexico and Philippine service: the ma
rines. men from the battle fields of
Santo Domingo. Haiti and Cuba. There
also was sprinkling of recruits--vol-
unteers for European service who were
especially picked at their own request
These men were mostly new in the
marine corps. They were moved to the
seaboard and went aboard ship. at sew
eral Atlantic ports. 1t was known
along the water fronts OF several OF the
ports in question what was going on,
but the general public did not know.
and the censorship on all cables was
depended upon to prevent news OF the
movement from reaching Germany
After the troops were at sea. their
ships filled with equipment OF all
sorts-everything they could possibly
need from gas masks to bully beef
acf wit IT.,
was little wirelessins done, SO that no
German station could pick out OF the
air hint OF the movement or Judge
by the radio waves the location o. the