Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-13

hazardous duty assigned to the Navy.
GoOd-by."
That was rot overstating 1t, in any
particular. No nation in history had ever
attempted to transport so huge an army
overseas. 1t would have been difficult
enough under the most ideal conditions,
with nothing to hinder or modest.
The German navy could have no greater
object than to prevent our troops from
getting to France. There could have been
no greater victory for them than to have
sunk a transport loaded with American
soldiers. Allied troopships had been
sunk, from time to time. in spite Of every
safeguard. We were taking every pre-
caution that could be devised, but this
was a new and untried task for us-and
one on which our whole participation in
the war depended.
WERE DAYS Or
STRAIN AND ANXIETY.
Words can hardly express the strain of
those anxious days when those ships OF
the first conveys carrying $1,000 troops
were running the gauntlet to France; or
our relief when we received the news
that they had all arrived safely at st.
Navarro.
Sailing in a dense fog on June II,
last. the cargo ships, on July 2. The
first group. Admiral Gleaves reported,
was attacked by submarines the night
of June %, at 1915 p. m; the second
group encountered two, and a torpedo
was fred at the fourth group on June
%. That they had escaped the subma-
rines was an added cause for rejoicing.
Not a ship was damaged or a man in
jured and an officer reported to Admiral
Gleaves:
I'VE didn't lose but one horse. and
that was a mule"
''The German admiralty had boosted
that not one American soldier should set
foot in France" Admiral Gleaves says
in his book "The bluff had been called,
and it could not have been called at a
more psychological moment"
A JOB THAT
REQUIRED SPEED.
Getting that first group OF transports
together was q job. The Army had only
a few troop ships, none Of them ut for
transatlantic service The Navy had
only three-the Henderson, just COM
pleted; the Hancock, and the former
German commerce raider. Prinz Eitel
Friedrich, which we converted into an
auxiliary cruiser and renamed the De
Kalb. The Army secured fourteen mail
and cargo steamships. and hastily con-
verted them. 1t had to be quick work.
We had not contemplated sending
troops so soon. From a military stand
Point it would have been better, So some
experts declared, to have retained the
regulars for while/to aid in training
the new officers and raw recruits, and
not to have begun transportation until
we had a larger Army.
But war-weary France, grimly holding
back the Germans. and England, beset
by submarines. needed cheering up; need
ed visible evidence that reinforcement
was certain, that the Americans were
coming. Marshal Joffre asked that some
troops be sent at the earliest possible
moment-"a regiment or two; II possible
a division" He told Secretary Baker
that he looked forward to the day when
the United States should build up its
splendid army OF 100000 or 100000"
PERsHING CALLED
FROM BORDER.
Secretary Baker Immediately began his
preparations TO send troops. General
Pershing was chosen to command the
forces to be sent to Europe. and was
summoned from the Mexican border May
:. The brief telegram sent him is Of
such historic interest that I think you
would Ike TO see how it read:
y. 1 DIOD - GOVT.
DI Washington, n. c.
May 7, 1917.
Major General John J. Pershing,
TT Sam Houston, Texas.
Number G11e
Repair to this city at once and re-
port to Chief Staff for consultation
and on completion duty return to
proper station. Travel directed nee
cessary IN military service. By or
der Secretary War.
Mccain e:12 A. NJ.
I devoted considerable thought to Sc
lecting tie officer to command this expe-
dition; for he was also, If be made good,
to have general direction Of the vast task
Of troop transportation. I selected Rear
Admiral Albert Gleaves, then in com
nand Of our destroyer force, and never
had reason to regret this choice. No man
could have done big job better; no Job
was ever better done.
FLEET TOTALED
40 VESSELS.
From this small beginning was built
up the great cruiser and transport force
which took to France oil ,047 American
soldiers, and brought home 100000
a total Of 100000 carried across the At
lantic. In less than a year 1t grew to a
feet Of twenty-fOur cruisers and forty
two troop ships. and after the armistice
comprised 40 vessels carrying troops,
with facilities for 1874 officers and 349,-
40 men.
Transporting 100000 United States
troops to France was such an immense
undertaking that all the shipping we
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