Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-07-10
First Detailed Account of Voy-
age Of the Vanguard Of the
A. {. F. to France
CONTINUED from Page Onel

alleged pleasure The languors of
parayphoid and the oppression Of sea-
sickness combined unpleasantly to
make the irregular verbs OF the French
language seem peculiarly elusive and
unlmportant There were Interpreters
there who ratified off French idioms
with an irritating ease and there was
q master French teacher in the person
Of a former ambassador to France,
Major Robert Bacon, Of the Generals
staff But one officer felt obliged to
note In his diary this observation:
The intensive but rather hopeless
efforts made were often quite Iudl~
crous. but very praisewarthy,
"All through the trip the submarine
was ever In mind. The C-boats were
then at the height Of their success ana
every one knew chat the Kaiser would
have extracted more real pleasure out
Of the sinking Of the Baltic than out
ships
"The Baltic had been fired at on
the preceding trip. Her captain, Capt.
Finch, was fresh from bis memories
of having gone down with his ship,
the Arabic. when she was torpedoed
not long before.
He, by the way, was a trifle blase
about the honor OF bearing an Ameri-
can high command across the seas. for
be was captain Of the Liner that car
ried Commodore Dewey from San
francisco 10 Hongk0ng when he was
on his way 10 Join his flagship before
the battle OF Manila Bay
Two beat drills We're held and one
of the Americans had assigned the
general and an the colonels to one boat,
Shouldn't put all your eggs in one
basket he observed glOamily. II any
thing should happen to boat Three the
A. T. H. would be simply ruined
but nothing happened TO Boat Three
nor the Baltic. ana those who were
watching from The rail early on June
9Th and saw that the United States de-
stroyers Tucker ana Rowan had come
out 70 escort 0er ia knew that nothing
would happer 10 the Baltic. The next
day q third destroyer appeared on the
@horjzou and that day the decks bios
somod With American uniforms.
"lUr All through the danger zene
every American soldier on board from
the general down had worn civilian
clnthes The Baltic was q passenger
liner and ;he White star officials had
explained hat the mere presence Of a
stray officer in uniform among the
passengers Of torpedoed liners had
satisfied the C-boat casualties as an
excuse t3 she'll the life boats
Most q the officers aboard as part
OF the secrecy with which they had
shipped oIs Of Washington TO New
York had worn cts all this time but
when they embarked. and ( the last
tFTI ga q ny Nm TAI q
far ordinary gaiment
Civilian clerks yielded up their extra
trousers on the promise they would be
returned intact ana the war corre-
spondents who are always very rich,
and have lots Of patty clothes, became
very popular as outfitters for the
voyage
Despite all the tension there we're
the usual games Of Switchboard by way
Of exercise. the usual concerts with
such chance talent aboard as could be
furnished by Lynn Harding. the Eng
lsh actor and Dorothy Gish, Americas
movie favorite, and the usual daily
ne1Hsnsner. with the wireless bringing
in real news Ter once,
The Baltic was Just sailing through
the danger zone when word came that
the Root nilsson had arrived In Rus
STA, and that back home 10, 900 Geo
Americans has =. discountenanced ell
prophets Of ri6t and calamity by
quietly and soberly enrolling under the
seleCtive draft.
IL was in the early hours Of the
morning. Of June Sth that the Baltic
reached Liverpool. When 10 o'clock
came. after a fine breakfast Of Queens
town salt. the Americans marched off
TO be graded by the high dignitaries
Of the port ana by the Royal Welsh
Fusiliers. who were drawn up on the
pier with their famous band and their
not less famous Angora goat
"a special train carried the whole
party to London, with the commander
In chief made comfortable in the royal
private car. There were great hand
shakings at Euston station. where Sir
John French. Vive- Admiral Sims, Am
bassador Page and others were wait
ing TO greet them when the train ar
rived at 8 30 that afternoon. and GEN
/ PershiDg did not so on his way TIL he
had first shaken hands wi the the engi-
neer who brought him TO London
town.