When the excitement was over an officer called up to him:
"Hello, up there; come down. It's all over."
"Me come down," came the voice from on high. "Mistah officah, I ain't
nevah gwine to come down; no suh. De place fo man is on de dry land, yas
suh. Ocean wa'nt nevah made for man; de ocean's fo fishes, dat's all.
I'm gwine to stay up heah until I see de land. Den I'se gwine to jump."
History fails to record how long he remained in his retreat. Probably
until he became hungry.
This, then, appears to be what happened to our first convoy. That there
was an attack upon the convoy by submarines in force, as set forth in
the original statement from Washington, now seems altogether unlikely,
and whether our destroyers sunk one or more of the undersea assailants
is a matter of opinion. It does, however, seem likely that the one
waging the second attack was accounted for.
The War Department was not slow to recognize the effectiveness with
which our navy had transported the first oversea expedition to France as
the following message from Secretary of War Newton D. Baker to Secretary
Daniels will show.
"War Department,
"Washington, July 3.
"Word has just come to the War Department that the last ships conveying
Gen. Pershing's expeditionary force arrived safely to-day. As you know,
the Navy Department assumed the responsibility for the safety of these
ships on the sea and through the danger zone. The ships themselves and
their convoys were in the hands of the navy, and now that they have
arrived and carried without the loss of a man our soldiers who are first
to represent America in the battle for Democracy, I beg leave to tender
to you, to the admiral, and to the navy the hearty thanks of the War
Department and of the army.
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