The Daily Banner

GERMAN LINERS SERVING U.S. ARMY

Reach Other Side.

Large Quantities of Supplies Also Carried on Transports Arriving Safely at European Port.

A French City, Jan. 31.-The pride of Germany's and Austria's great merchant fleets have brought thousands of American troops to Europe to fight the battle of democracy. Permission was granted for the announcement to Americans that sixteen former German merchantmen and two former Austrian steamships have arrived in Europe, bringing great numbers of American soldiers, while their holds carried thousands of tons of supplies.

The eighteen included the liner Leviathan, the biggest ship in the world, formerly the Vaterland, of the Hamburg American line.

They had an uneventful voyage and did not sight a submarine.

It is permissible to announce to America that the transports Covington, Cincinnati, President Lincoln, President Grant, America, Powhatan, Madawaska, all of which were seized by the United States at the outbreak of the war, and the former North German Lloyd steamships George Washington, Mount Vernon, Agamemnon, Aeolus, Mercury, Pocahontas, Huron and Antigone, have all arrived.

All these vessels had safe passage. They carried thousands of American troops and thousands of tons of supplies.

Every one of these transports arrived at an European port ten months earlier than their former German crews expected when they smashed the machinery aboard each liner.

Announcement may also now be made that the steamships Baron von Steuben and Baron de Kalb are now actively engaged in service.

A half-million tons of shipping formerly property of the enemy is now capable of being utilized by the United States and the allies.

Transport Fleet Sailed Last Week.

Washington, Jan. 31.-The heart of America thrilled with the news that the greatest armada in her history--eighteen huge transports--had arrived safely at a French port with thousands of officers, soldiers and supplies to battle the kaiser.

Stealing out of American ports early last week the vessels delivered their precious cargo on European soil, untouched by spies and unobserved by the watchful eyes of submarines.

Protecting them on their voyage were American men-of-war--fleet gray monsters--who swept through the waves, grim warning that their transport charges were to be delivered unharmed.

The size of the convoy cannot be published, but it may be stated that it was such as to furnish protection for such a tremendous responsibility.

Aboard the transports were thousands of young men--officers for training, Sammies for service, doctors, nurses and skilled workmen.

From all parts of the country they had been secretly assembled at different embarking points along the seaboard. None knew before he left even what vessel he would board--only that he was to be at a given place at a given hour, prepared for a long journey.