Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-02-01
IS TRANSPORTS,
WITH j. S. TROOPS,
ARRIVE IN FRANCE
Former German Liners Used TO
Garry Soldiers.
LEFT HERE TWO WEEKS AGO
Vessels Sailed From American Ports
Under Heavy Convoy and Escaped
Submarines in the At
lantic.

\
Washington, Jan. ST. 81 The heart of
America thrilled today WITH the news
that the greatest armada in her his
tory18 huge transports had artyed
safely at French ports with thousands
Of officers, soldiers and supplies to bat
tie the kaiser.
Stealing out of American ports the
last two weeks, the yessels-formerly
the best in the Austro-German mer-
chant marine delivered their precious
cargo on European soil unframed by
spies and unobserved by the watchful
eyes of submarines.
Protected by Convoy.
Protecting them on their voyage
were many men of war-fieet. gray
monsters-that swept through the
waves, grim warning that their trans
port charges were to be delivered I'M
harmed.
The size Of the convoy cannot be
published, but it may be stated that
# was such as to provide ample pro-
lection fer such a tremendous re-.
sponsibility.
Aboard the transports were thou
sands of young men-officers for
training, troops for service, doctors.
nurses and skilled workmen. From all
parts Of the country they had been SCI
cretly assembled at different embark
ing points along the seaboard. None
knew before he left even what vessel
he would board-only that he was to
be at a given place at given hour,
prepared for long journey.
Hide Movement at Sea.
After the noses of the great vessels
poked their way out of port into the
ocean mists the curtain of censorship
drops down over their voyage. Wheth-
err they all met at sea, forming one
great movement, the war department
viii not reveal
The maneuvering of transports which
already have landed nearly half mil
lion of Americas fighting forces In
France without loss is sufficient unto
itself, the navy department believes
Today thousands Of American
homes, knowing their boys had left
last week, are rejoicing at the news of
their safe arrival.
No Submarine Terror.
It is agreed that this is the best
news that the United States has had
since war began. Not only does it
mean that tens of thousands of Amer
lean soldiers are safely across but the
fact that the announcement was per-
mitted neaDs that we are in no partic-
ulag terrier of the submarines and,
moreover, that our army in France has
noN attained to such proportions that
we ars willing that the enemy should
guess at the size of the aecretions.
ANY military man can figure out the
carrying capacity of 6e0,00O tons Of
shipping, which Is about what the taxi
Ing over and repairing of the German
ships mean to us Some of these
ships have made more than one voy-
age
vaterland Makes Good Time.
The navy department unbelted to
the extent of telling that the voyage
of the Leviathan, formerly the Water
iaad, was made in most satisfactory
time. She used TO cross the Atlantic in
five days when she was the most pala-
tial liner afioat, and if her conveys
could keep up with her there is no rea-
son she should go at more moderate
speed when she carried soldiers in
stead of millionaires. She was Il POI
tential German transport in those
days, as was every vessel carrying the
German flag, and she was rated at be-
ing able to accommodate ten regiments
of a thousand men each
Secretary Baker In his statement
the other day said we would have half
million men in France searly in
1915" He knew then OF the safe pas
sage Of the great fiotilla, even il he
did not tell about 1t.
Had uneventful Voyage.
A French City, Jan 31.-The pride
of Germany's and Austria's great mer-
chant fleets has brought thousands OF
American troops to Europe TO fight the
battle of democracy.
Permission was granted for the an
nouncement that Us CORNER German
merchantmen and two former Aus
tAiuh SleeAtHtAt'S nav 1iliAcN III LII
rope, bringing great numbers of Amer
lean soldiers, and that their holds car
ried thousands Of tons of supplies.
The Is include the great liner Levia-
than, the biggest Sap in the world,
formerly the Yaterland, of the Ham
burg-Ameriean line. All were seized
lby the United States al the beginning
of the war
They had an ,tneventful voyage and
did not sight a submarine.