=The American Navy in the War.=—­As soon as Congress declared war the fleet was mobilized, American ports were thrown open to the warships of the Allies, immediate provision was made for increasing the number of men and ships, and a contingent of war vessels was sent to cooeperate with the British and French in their life-and-death contest with submarines.  Special effort was made to stimulate the production of “submarine chasers” and “scout cruisers” to be sent to the danger zone.  Convoys were provided to accompany the transports conveying soldiers to France.  Before the end of the war more than three hundred American vessels and 75,000 officers and men were operating in European waters.  Though the German fleet failed to come out and challenge the sea power of the Allies, the battleships of the United States were always ready to do their full duty in such an event.  As things turned out, the service of the American navy was limited mainly to helping in the campaign that wore down the submarine menace to Allied shipping.

=The War in France.=—­Owing to the peculiar character of the warfare in France, it required a longer time for American military forces to get into action; but there was no unnecessary delay.  Soon after the declaration of war, steps were taken to give military assistance to the Allies.  The regular army was enlarged and the troops of the national guard were brought into national service.  On June 13, General John J. Pershing, chosen head of the American Expeditionary Forces, reached Paris and began preparations for the arrival of our troops.  In June, the vanguard of the army reached France.  A slow and steady stream followed.  As soon as the men enrolled under the draft were ready, it became a flood.  During the period of the war the army was enlarged from about 190,000 men to 3,665,000, of whom more than 2,000,000 were in France when the armistice was signed.

Although American troops did not take part on a large scale until the last phase of the war in 1918, several battalions of infantry were in the trenches by October, 1917, and had their first severe encounter with the Germans early in November.  In January, 1918, they took over a part of the front line as an American sector.  In March, General Pershing placed our forces at the disposal of General Foch, commander-in-chief of the Allied armies.  The first division, which entered the Montdidier salient in April, soon was engaged with the enemy, “taking with splendid dash the town of Cantigny and all other objectives, which were organized and held steadfastly against vicious counter attacks and galling artillery fire.”

[Illustration:  Copyright by Underwood and Underwood, N.Y.

TROOPS RETURNING FROM FRANCE]

When the Germans launched their grand drives toward the Marne and Paris, in June and July, 1918, every available man was placed at General Foch’s command.  At Belleau Wood, at Chateau-Thierry, and other points along the deep salient made by the Germans into the French lines, American soldiers distinguished themselves by heroic action.  They also played an important role in the counter attack that “smashed” the salient and drove the Germans back.