The evening times., 1898-05-11


! 1t is a fact that the wigwaggers are
very valuable in war. and individually
! Of more service than the individual in
I fantry soldier who can only handle a
rife: while the wigwagger is skilled in
/ firearms. saber work and some branches
of engineers work. besides being able to
communicate between different COM
mands. Several of the local corps are
expert teIegraphers, and all are more or
less proficient with the flags and hello
graphs. Telegraphers would be of little
use in the Signal Corps If they were un-
able to use the flags. photographs and
other appliances for communicating sig
mails and messages. From the time the
corps was first organized. five years ago
last February. much attention has been
given to the signal work. and the corps
ranks Al in the militia of the entire
country. and as a whole is proficient
as the majority of the signalers of the
Regular Army
The utility of the signal corps in the
present war is not to be questioned for a
moment. 1t has been stated that Cuba
will be invaded by land force which
will cooperate with the naval force in
| the harbor for the capture of Havana
1t is absolutely necessary that the COM
mander of the land forces be able to
communicate with the warships in the
harbor and that can only be done by use
| of the men of the signal coprs- In olden
times signals were arranged beforehand.
There was no system and consequently
little satisfaction from signaling, as il
could heardly be called intelligent. I'm
der the present system, signals between
| land forces and naval forces may be ex-
f, changed without any preparation and
any sort of message sent. serious or triv-
| ial The Naval Reserve has been par
| ticularly drilled to work in connection
| with maneuvers of land troops and every
member of the reserve is signalman.
| The same code is in use in every depart
ment of the Army and Navy.
| 1t has been suggested that the signal
| corps of the National Guard be used to
| man the Atlantic coast from Florida to
| Maine. While many of the men stationed
| along the coast would bee no active SER
| vice undoubtedly the majority would be
| of inestimable value in giving notice of
! the approach of a hostile feet of move
ments of the enemy's vessels besides
| keeping the authorities posted on the
| movements of our own vessels.
There are comparatively few signal
| corps in the country and signalmen are
| therefore valuable.
The great hitch seems to be that the
| members of the National Guard dislike
the idea OF being separated from their
| officers That Is but natural. brit it
must not be supposed that such
| reason would suffice to keep any one
| man of the Guard at home or from doing
| his duty as an American citizen. There
| were many speeches made in the meeting
| of the Signal Corps last night not all in
| favor of active participation. but there
was no dissenting voice to the PROPOSE
| ton to respond Immediately as a body
| upon the first call for volunteers. There
| is a little healthy rivalry between ths
| officers of the Regular Army and the
| officers Of the National Guard The off,
| GERS of the former certainly have some
| advantage in being graduates from West
f, Point, but they have not had as rule
| the interest in the organization with
/ which they are connected which has
| characterized the relations Of the offcers
| of the State Guard to the men under
| their command. No one denies that the
| National Guard Is as well drilled, and. In
| many cases, better drilled than the Fed
| era troops and the main difference lies
| in the fact that one organization Is ac-
| customed to garrison life and constant
i military supervision, while the citizen
| soldiery Is used to but little of that sort
| of thing. As for shooting and camp
life. the National Guard is not inferior
| in any particular.