y and August, 1918, 3,444,012 tons of shipping were escorted
to and from France by American escort vessels; of the above amount
1,577,735 tons were escorted in and 1,864,677 tons were escorted out of
French ports. Of the tonnage escorted into French ports during this time
only 16,988 tons, or .009 per cent, were lost through enemy action, and
of the tonnage escorted out from French ports only 27,858, or .013 per
cent, were lost through the same cause. During the same period, July and
August of this year, 259,604 American troops were escorted to France by
United States escort vessels without the loss of a single man through
enemy action. The particulars in the above paragraph refer to United
States naval forces operating in the war zone from French ports.

During the same time--July and August--destroyers based on British ports
supplied 75 per cent of the escorts for 318 ships, totalling 2,752,908
tons, and including the escort of vessels carrying 137,283 United States
troops. The destroyers on this duty were at sea an average of 67 per
cent of the time, and were under way for a period of about 16,000 hours,
steaming approximately an aggregate of 260,000 miles. There were no
losses due to enemy action.

The history of the convoy operations in which our naval forces have
taken part, due to which we have been able so successfully to transport
such a large number of our military forces abroad, and so many supplies
for the army, is a chapter in itself. It is probably our major operation
in this war, and will in the future stand as a monument to both the army
and the navy as the greatest and most difficult troop transporting
effort which has ever been conducted across seas.

(The Secretary says the convoy system was "suggested by President
Wilson." He continues:)

This entire force, under command of Rear-Admiral Albert Gleaves, whose
ability and resource have been tested and established in this great
service in co-operation with the destroyer flotilla operating abroad,
has developed an anti-submarine convoy and escort system the results of
which have surpassed even the most sanguine expectations.

TROOPS CARRIED OVERSEAS

American and British ships have carried over 2,000,000 American troops
overseas. The United States did not possess enough ships to carry over
our troops as rapidly as they were ready to sail or as quickly as they
were needed in France. Great Britain furnished, under contract with the
War Department,