and as to locations of submarine activities and has to so adjust routes on and off the coast as to keep clear of both.  Three out of eight escort units are provided by United States vessels for the coastal convoy system, which is operated by the French.  Unity of purpose and sympathy of understanding have combined to make the handling of cargo convoys on and off the coast a matter of ready adjustment to the general conditions obtaining in regard to destination of cargo ships and availability of escort vessels.

[Sidenote:  Rate of movement of troops by transports.]

At the end of the fiscal year United States naval forces in France are stated to have been escorting troops into France at the rate of 134,000 per month.  Since May 1, 1918, the number of troopships and cargo-vessel convoys east and west bound have averaged more than 1 a day, and the number of ships over 200 a month.  No convoy of troopships has failed to be met by destroyer escort before entering the area of submarine activity, and no passenger intrusted to the care of the United States naval forces in France has been lost.

[Sidenote:  Destroyers controlled from Brest.]

(a) The destroyers based on Brest are controlled directly from headquarters at Brest and are at present maintained in readiness for service with the aid of the fleet repair ship Prometheus and lately also by the destroyer tender Bridgeport.  Additional repair shops on shore are in process of completion.

[Sidenote:  Gunnery and torpedo exercises.]

(b) Arrangements are now in hand for the carrying out of gunnery exercises including torpedoes, the need of which has been recognised but had hitherto been deemed impracticable on account of press of work.

[Sidenote:  Facilities for repairing vessels.]

(c) The United States naval repair facilities here as well as elsewhere on the coast of France have to be made use of not only for the upkeep of the United States naval vessels based on the coast, but also for necessary repairs to troopships and cargo vessels, whether naval, Army, or Shipping Board, the guiding idea being to keep the ships moving.

[Sidenote:  French divided into districts.]

(a) Coastal Districts in France.—­The north and west coasts of France are divided into districts which correspond with the French prefectures maritimes, and the district headquarters are in every case located in the same place as those of the several prefects maritimes.  These headquarters are communication and operating centers and provide naturally by arrangement as above described for full and ready cooperation with the French district activities.

[Sidenote:  Port officers.]

(b) The principal ports have assigned to them a port officer whose function in regard to all United States ships is to expedite their “turn around,” and in addition, where vessels carrying United States naval armed guards are concerned, to inspect the armed guards and adjust such matters as are beyond the capacity or authority of the armed guard commander.