This country could not have sent over nearly so many troops as it did, if we had not been aided by the British, French and Italian vessels. This was no gift, of course. The United States Government paid for every soldier transported on a foreign vessel. The aid of our Allies was invaluable, and highly appreciated. They should be given full credit for all they did; but this should not detract one iota from the great task performed by our Navy, which was the biggest factor in putting through this biggest job of the war. Not a single vessel of the Cruiser and Transport Force was torpedoed on the way to France. Two, the _President Lincoln_ and the _Covington_, were sunk returning, as was also the _Antilles_, an Army chartered transport not manned by the Navy. Two American transports were torpedoed, the _Finland_, manned by a civilian crew, and the _Mount Vernon_, manned by the Navy; but both were successfully navigated to port and repaired. The _Tuscania_ and the _Moldavia_, sunk while carrying American troops to Europe, were British chartered vessels, as was also the _Dwinsk_, which was sunk while returning. The first transport lost was the _Antilles_, October 17, 1917, two days out of Brest. Eleven days later the _Finland_ was struck by a torpedo. In both cases there was loss of life and confusion among the civilian crews. After these experiences, it was decided to man all American troop-ships entirely by naval personnel; and it was not until May 31st that another was lost. Returning to America, in company with the _Susquehanna_, _Antigone_ and _Rijndam_, the _President Lincoln_ (Commander P. W. Foote), was steaming along, 500 miles from land. At 9 o'clock a terrific explosion occurred on the port side of the _Lincoln_, 120 feet from the bow. In an instant there was another explosion in the after part of the vessel. The ship had been struck by three torpedoes, fired in a salvo from a submarine. Two struck together near the bow, the other near the stern. Officers and lookouts had sighted the wakes, but the torpedoes were so close that it was impossible to avoid them. There were 715 persons on board, including 30 officers and men of the army, a number of whom were sick, two helpless from paralysis. It was realized that the vessel could not long remain afloat, but there was no confusion. Crew and passengers coolly waited for and obeyed orders. Boats were lowered and life-rafts placed in the water. Fifteen minutes after the torpedoes struck, all hands except the guns'-crews were ordered to abandon the ship. Gunners stood at their stations, awaiting any opportunity for a shot at the submarine. Commander Foote and several other officers remained aboard. All the rest of the ship's company were in the boats or on the rafts. When the guns began firing, they broke into cheers. The firing was kept up until the water covered the main deck, and the gunners did not leave their posts until they were ordered off just before the ship sank.