[Sidenote:  Liaison with the United States Army.]

Liaison with the United States Army in France is carried on by maintaining a naval liaison officer (Commander R. Williams) at the Army general headquarters, chiefly for the purpose of rendering assistance in effecting cooperation as to the handling and routing of troopships and of cargo vessels consigned to Army account.

[Sidenote:  The radio station near Bordeaux.]

Trans-Atlantic Radio Station.—­The erection of the trans-Atlantic radio-transmitting station at Croix d’Hins, near Bordeaux, is being done by United States naval personnel under the direction of Lieutenant Commander G.C.  Sweet.  The French authorities are putting in the foundations.  The personnel is well taken care of and the work of construction appears to be progressing favorably.  It is hoped and expected by those in charge that a four-tower unit will be ready for operation about March 1, 1919.

[Sidenote:  The naval railway batteries in France.]

The 14-inch Naval Railway Battery was built and equipped by the Navy and manned by naval personnel for service in France with the United States Army.  It arrived in France in July last under the command of Rear Admiral C.P.  Plunkett and was ready for service during August.  A part of the battery has been operating with the French against Laon and vicinity, and is understood to have rendered what the French consider very valuable service against the enemy.  The entire battery is now with the First United States Army, but data as to what it has accomplished are not yet available.  This test of our naval guns of late design and large caliber in long-range firing and the opportunities given to naval personnel to study and observe the artillery work on the western front are considered to be of great value to the service.

[Sidenote:  The oil pipe line across Scotland.]

A United States Naval Pipe-line Unit has completed important service in the construction of a fuel-oil pipe line across Scotland, and is understood to have been asked for by the French to do some work of the same kind for them.

(a) There are yet to be inspected and observed the following activities, which have not so far been mentioned: 

[Sidenote:  Additional naval bases.]

United States naval base at Cardiff, Subchaser Detachment Two, based on
Corfu, Captain C.P.  Nelson, United States naval air stations in Italy.

(b) It is not deemed practicable to visit the United States naval forces based at Gibraltar (Rear Admiral Niblack), nor the United States naval forces based on the Azores, because of difficulties of transportation, as is also the case in regard to the U.S.S. Olympia in northern Russia.

V. UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION IN EUROPE.

[Sidenote:  Aviation Headquarters in Paris and London.]