ings began with an ovation for Pershing, during which, for six or seven minutes, he had to stand in acknowledgment of the applause. M. Ribot then went to the Tribune and outlined the course of events in Greece, which had just ended in the abdication of King Constantine. When he referred to the result as "extremely consoling," and added that "another source of comfort had come from America,' the whole house rose and again applauded Pershing and Mr. Sharp. A dramatic climax came next day when at the Invalides were presented to Pershing, that he might hold them for a moment, the sword and the Grand Cross Cordon of the Legion of Honor that belonged to Napoleon, the most signal honor France could have bestowed on any man. Before that day not even a Frenchman had for years been permitted to hold in his hands these historic relics. Kings and Princes had been taken to the crypt that holds the body of the great Emperor, but they had only viewed his sword and cross through plate glass. Until that day these relics had not been touched for sixty years, or since the time of Louis Philippe.

General Pershing and his staff were conducted to the crypt by Marshal Joffre, who followed the precedent laid down by Napoleon in his lifetime. as Emperor that only a Marshal of France might remain covered in his presence. After the great key had been inserted in the brass door of the crypt, Marshal Joffre and General Niox, Governor of the Invalides, stept aside to permit Pershing to face the door alone. Taking a deep breath, he stept suddenly forward and with a single motion threw his arm straight out and turned the key. In a tiny alcove at one side of the crypt the Governor of the Invalides then unlocked the sword case, drew out the sword, raised it to his lips, and presented the hilt to Pershing, who received it, held it at salute for a moment and then kissed the hilt. The same ceremony was followed with the Cross of the Cordon of the Legion of Honor, Pershing holding the cross to his lips before passing it back to the Governor. One of the staff officers said when the ceremony was over: "It was more than a historic moment. It was an epic one. Pershing at the tomb of Napoleon will live in French history, as does Washington in prayer at

Valley Forge. It would take some Victor Hugo to write about it properly."

American Regulars to the number of perhaps 25,000 arrived at a French port on June 26 and 27. They were met by frantic cheers from crowds that had gathered for hours before to welcome them. Enthusiasm rose to fever pitch when it was learned that the transports and convoys had successfully passed the submarine zone, news supplemented a few days later with details of battles with submarines in which some of the submarines were sunk. Five torpedoes had been fired at the transports without hitting any of them. The troops were in excellent spirits, enthusiastic over their successful trip and their reception, and eager for action. With the harbor dotted with convoys, the streets of this seaport were filled with soldiers in khaki and with bluejackets. This advance guard contained seasoned Regulars and Marines, trained fighting men still wearing the tan of long service on the Mexican border.

A new record had been set for the transportation of troops. Considering the distance covered and the fact that all preparations had to be made after the order to sail came from the White House on the night of May 18, it was believed that never before had a military expedition of this magnitude been assembled, transported and landed without a mishap in so short a time. The only rival was the movement of British troops to South Africa during the Boer War, but that was made over seas unhampered by submarines, mines, or other obstacles. All the American troops. had been armed and equipped in the United States. At their camp on French soil were soon to be stored supplies enough to keep them for months.

During the voyage over the flotilla had been guarded by war-craft. Every precaution that trained minds could devise had been taken. The circumstances in which the flotilla had sailed were afterward made known. In stretches of placid home-waters, the ships had been anchored for more than a week. When at last they sailed serenely eastward, not one of the newspapers, all of which knew about the preparations and the sailing, gave out a hint of what had happened. Hundreds of thousands of people along the At

lantic coast, who depended entirely upon the newspapers for information of a military nature were, therefore, unaware until they read about it in the newspapers on June 20 that any of our troops had yet started for France, altho they had sailed within sight of thousands at seashore points. So with millions of Americans in interior places, they too were in the dark for weeks about the preparations and impatiently wondering if America ever would actually get into action.

Germans might have seen at least two of the transports, formerly American passenger-carriers, taking on board at one of their own line piers more than 2,000 troops. Only a few weeks before most of the transports had been American passenger-craft of high class, all capable of more than twelve knots, and some of which had achieved twenty. Shipwrights, machinists and laborers had tackled the job of converting these once luxurious liners into troopships. All the fine fittings of rare woods, tapestries, carpets, and rugs had been removed with care so that they might be restored to their places after the war. Well made and comfortable bunks took the places of luxurious cabins. The average

capacity of the ships was about 2,000. Some of the swiftest carried 1,200, others more than 3,000. The speed of the fleet naturally was that of the slowest vessel or between twelve and thirteen knots, which was better than that of a German submarine running on the surface. Soon American naval officers and blue.jackets were fêted, cheered and idolized by adoring crowds in Paris wherever they went.

Unbounded enthusiasm existed in Washington as a result of the safe arrival of these troops on French soil. Within six months an army of between 200,000 and 300,000 Americans, including several divisions of the National Guard, could at the same rate be sent to France. Pershing, then a major-general, was to be made a lieutenant-general when Congress responded to the appeal of the War Department that it recreate that rank, in order that the commander of the American force might in his rank take his place with other commanders on the Allied battle-line. the Allied battle-line. Twenty-one major-generals and brigadier-generals had already been named by President Wilson for the force of regulars who would serve eventually in Europe. Of these fifteen were

men who had been at West Point when Pershing was there. Pershing himself had had a voice in their selection. Pershing soon evoked from Parisians sincere comments on the energy with which he had taken up his tasks and in which he had shown the unceremonious directness of others among the world's conspicuous commanders. The thing to be done was the important thing to him, not the formalities it might surround itself with. Once, when a question was raised as to who should "call first"-that is, he or the person whom

he wished to meet-his earnest comment was, "The real point is, I must see him." Pershing and Joffre came at once into close cooperation, meeting constantly in Paris, now at the headquarters of one, now at those of the other. Crowds gathered at either place whenever these two were known to be in consultation. Once when both were at Pershing's headquarters and Joffre was leaving, Pershing was seen to accompany him out of the building and across the sidewalk to his automobile, where he opened the door of the car and, after seeing the Marshal well seated, closed the

door himself, each saluting the other as the car rolled away. Parisians saw something fine, something unusual, in that.

On July 3 a battalion of American Regulars that had landed from one of the transports a few days before arrived in Paris to take part in a parade on July 4, in celebration of the American Day of Independence. Wildly enthusiastic crowds packed the streets through which they marched, waving American and French flags, while girls pinned bouquets and flags on soldiers' coats, and French soldiers on leaves grasped the hands of Americans and marched beside them. Several times groups of shop-girls on their way to work slipt through police lines and kissed some of the soldiers to their obvious embarrassment. A number of children knelt in the street as the regiment's flag was carried by. They were war orphans who had come out from an institution in the neighborhood—perhaps the most touching incident of that day's march.

To celebrate the Fourth of July, Paris turned out a crowd that probably no American city ever surpassed for size, enthusiasm and profusion of Stars and Stripes. The battalion that had arrived and was soon to leave for training behind the battle-front had that day its first official review in France, and became the center of the celebration. Everywhere the American flag was seen on public buildings, hotels and residences; on automobiles, cabs, and carts; on horses' bridles and on the lapels of pedestrians' coats. All routes leading to the Invalides, where a ceremony was to take place, were thronged before the battalion appeared. About the court of honor where the battalion was to be drawn up with a detachment of French Territorials, the adjoining rooms were crowded with the human overflow. Standing in the center were descendants of French soldiers who had fought in the American Revolution. Inmates of the French Soldiers' Home-the Invalides-erect and soldierly in appearance in spite of gray hairs, stood behind as a guard of honor. Alongside was a delegation from Le Puy, the city nearest the old landed estate which was the birthplace of Lafayette, carrying a lace-adorned flag for presentation to the American troops. The enthusiasm of the crowd reached its highest pitch when Pershing, escorted by Poincaré, Joffre,