Evening star., 1921-05-13
NAVYTRANSPORTS SET RECORDS
TO CARRY OUT GIGANTIC TASK
2,pY,S80 Crossed to France-Ameriica
Great Part-The Impossible Accom-
p1ished In Converting Ships.

sailed for Europe, as he was leaving
my office. I said to him:
| Admiral. you are going on the
| most important. the most difficult and
! the most hazardous duty assigned to
the Navy. Goodbye"
That was not 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
I molest.
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 trans
! port loaded with American soldiers
| Allied troopships had been sunk, from
time to time. in spite of every safe
guard. 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 par
tieipation in the war depended.
Were Anxious Days.
Words can hardly express the strain
of those anxious days when those
! ships of the first conveys carrying
1900 troops were running the CANT
let to France. or our relief when we
received the news that they had all
arrived safely at st. NaZaire.
Sailing in a dense fog June u, ielT,
the first group arrived June 2e, the
last. the cargo ships. July 2. The first
group, Admiral GleaveS reported, was
attacked by submarines the night OF
June %. at 1915 pm; the second
group encountered two, ard torpedo
was fired at the fourth group June 90.
That they had escaped the subma-
rines was an added cause for rejoic-
ing. Not a ship was damaged or a
man injured, and an officer reported
to Admiral Gleaves:
I'VE didn't lose but one horse, and
that was a mule.
that not one American soldier should
set foot in France" Admiral Gleaves
saws in his book. THE bluff had been
called. and It could not have been
called at a more psychological mo-
ment."
Had to Work Fast.
Getting that first group Of trans
ports together was job. The Army
had only few troop ships. none of
them fit for transatlantic service.
The Navy had only three-the Hen
derson. just completed; the Hancock
and the ofrmer German commerce
raider. Prinz Eitel Friedrich. which
we converted into an auxiliary cruis-
er and renamed the De kalb. The
Army secured fourteen mail and car
go steamships, and hastily converted
them. 1t had to be quick work.
We had not contemplated SendlnS
troops so soon. From military
standpoint il would have been bet
ter. so some experts declared. to have
retained the regulars for a 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 hold
ing back the Germans. and England.
heset by submarines. needed cheering
up: needed visible evidence that re-
enforcement was certain. that the
Americans were coming. Marshal
Joffre asked that some troops be sent
at the earliest possible moment-"a
regiment or two: if possible divi-
he looked forward to the day when
splendid Army Of 100000 or 500, 900"
Perxhi.e Called From Border.
Secretary Baker Immediately began
his preparations to send troops. Gen.
Pershing was chosen to command
the forces to be sent to Europe. and
was summoned from the Mexican
border May 7. The brief telegram
sent him is of such historic interest
that / think you would like to see
how 1t read:
No. DIOD As GOVT
DI Washington, D. G.
May Z. 1917.
Maj. Gen. John ]. Pershing,
Fort Sam Houston, Tex.
Number 6719.
Repair TO this city at once and
report to chief stan for consulta-