South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-13

odlluB IN QenSe log On JUNE
ia 1917. the first group arrived
June %. the last, the cargo ships,
on July 2. The first group, Ad-
miral Gleaves reported, was at
tackled by submarines the night of
June p, at 1915 p. m; the sec
Ond group encountered two, and a
torpedo was fired at the fourth group
ON June %. That they had escaped
the submarines was an added cause
for rejoicing. Not a ship was dam
aged or a man injured and an Of
ficer 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 SOL
der should set foot in France" Ad-
miraI GIeaves says in his book. 1.-The
bluff had been called, and it could
not have been called at a more psy-
Geological moment"
Had to Work Fast.
Getting that first group OF trans
ports together was a job. The army
had only a few troop ships. none OF
them fit for transatlantic service.
The navy had only three-the Hen
derson, just completed; the Han
cock, and the former German COM
merCe raider. Prinz Eitel Friedrich.
which we converted into an auxil-
larry cruiser and renamed the De-
Kalb The army secured Il mail
and cargo steamships. and hastily
converted them. 1t had TO be quick
work
We had not contemplated sending
trops so soon. From military
standpoint it would have been bet
ter. so some experts declared. TO
have retained the regulars for a
while TO aid in training the new Of
hcers and raw recruits. and not 10
have begun transportation until
we had a larger army.
But war-weary France. grimly
holding back the Germans, and
England. beset by submarines. need
ed cheering up; needed visible evil
dence that reinforcement was GER
tain. that the Americans were COM
ing Marshal Joffre asked that some
troops be sent at the earliest rossi-
BILE moment-"a regiment or two; if
possible a division" He told Sec'y
Baker that he looked forward TO
the day when the United States
should build UP its splendid army
of 400. 600 or SOC. 1000"
PerShing Called from Border.
Secy Baker Immediately began
his preparations 10 send troops. Gen.
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 inter-
est that I think you would like 10
see how it read:
No. 1 DIOD 45 GOVT.
Washington. d. c.
May :, 1917.
Mai Gen. John J. Pershing.
TT. Sam Houston, Texas.
Number 6719.
Repair to this city at once and
report 10 Chief staff for con-
sultation and on completion
duty return 10 proper station.
Travel directed necessary in
military service. BY order Sec
rotary War.
Mccain 9:12 A. NJ.
I devoted considerable thought to
selecting the officer to command
this expedition; for he was also, if
he made good to have general di-
recton Of the vast task OF troop
transportation. I selected Rear Ad-
miral Albert GIeaves. then in COM
mand Of our destroyer force, and
never had reason 10 regret this
choice. No man could have done
big job better; no Job was ever
better done.
Fleet TotaIed 14s Vessels.
From this small beginning was
built up the great cruiser and trans
port force which took 20 France
911.O47 American soldiers, and
brought home 100000 total OF
. 500. 900 carried across the Allan
tic. In less than a year IL grew 10
fleet OF "a cruisers and AZ troop
ships, and after the armistice COM
prised 14s vessels carrying troops,
with facilities for 1914 officers and
349,770 men.
Transporting 100000 United
states troops 20 France was such an
immense undertaking that all the
shipping we could get. American as
well as foreign. was employed. This