Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-08-10
HER MAJESTY's PIGEONS.
flow They Are Used In War-PfEeoB
Service of Continental
Countries.

It is only quite recently that our
government decided to establish a
service of homing pigeons for the use
of the army, and this effort to rem
edy very serious defect in our in
teligence department did not come
moment too soon. says the London
News. For years past Italy, Germany,
Austria, France and Russia have rec
ognized the utility OF the pigeon as
a messenger in time of war, and large
sums of money are voted for the sys-
tematic training of the Lirds. In Ger
many, for instance, a sum amounting
to about 6 2,5cO is annually set aside
in the war budget for the training and
support of war pigeons. Every fort
ress and camp on the frontier-so we
learn from a recent account-has its
columbary supplied with trained
birds, for emergencies. The pigeons
belonging to the German war depart
ment number about 10000, but in adj
dition all trained birds in the coun-
try are numbered and registered, and
can be claimed by the authorities in
time of need. These pigeons may not
be sold or taken out of the country
without leave from the military au-
thorities, and their registration is
compulsory under severe penalties.
The German military pigeon system
is by far the most extensive and COM
plete in Europe.
Since 1870 the French have devoted
considerable attention to war pigeons.
It will be remembered that 1T was due
solely to the existence of two private
pigeon flying societies in Paris that
the news from the provinces reached
the capital during the siege. The
work done by the birds all through
this critical period, when all other
means of reaching the capital had
failed, led to the organization of a
regular service of messenger pigeons
for use in war generally, and partic-
u1arly as a means of communicating
over the heads of the enemy with
besieged fortress. The pigeons were
conveyed out of Paris by balloons,
and were dispatched from towns. The
messages were limited to 90 words
each, and they were photographed
down on to films of collodion, which
held $500 messages. A bird would
carry IL films, or $4,000 messages, and
one bird even arrived with 10000.
On the arrival of the birds the films
were enlarged by photographs and
then copied.
In 1891 it was estimated that there
were $50, 600 birds in France available
for collecting intelligence, and the
number has doubtless since then con-
siderably increased. The shooting of
pigeons is prohibited, and a strict CEN
sus is kept of the birds in the country.
From a recent article in a French
paper we gather that between these
outlying points regular pigeon post
is maintained. Three times a week
number of birds are taken by train
to certain points on the frontier.
where they are liberated, a careful
record being kept of the performance
of each bird. The French military au-
thorities claim that even if all rail-
ways and telegraphs were destroyed
they could keep themselves well in
formed of events on the frontier by
means of the system of pigeon post.
The regulations as to training, regis
tration and sale of private breeders
birds are stringent, and the state re-
serves to itself the right of taking all
should demand it.
The first Austrian military pigeon
station was established in 1878; since
then others have been erected. The
government relies to a large extent on
private societies and individuals for
the supply of pigeons in time of emer-
gency. Arrangements are made
whereby the authorities give, free of
cost, the wood required for the cree
ton of pigeon lofts to such officers
and government servants who will I'M
dertake to keep and train the birds
with a view to their use as messen-
gers in war.
Russia was the first European coun-
try to adopt military pigeon system.
stations having been erected in 1871
At first the experiments did not lead
to successful results, but later the
whole system has been reorganized by
officers in the corps of engineers.
Italy has an extensive military pi
geon system, the establishment of the
lofts dating from 1872.
Spain and Portugal both possess
pigeon services for use in war. Pr
geons liberated in Lisbon have ar
rived in Southampton and Paris with
messages; in the former case the dis
lance was 900 miles.
Pigeons are capable of rendexing
greater services in the British army
abroad than at home. As we have
seen. the training of pigeons has been
systematically carried out in Cape
Colony, and now that the utility OF
Fthe pigeon post has been satisfactory
| ly proved by the recent events in
South Africa, it is to be hoped that
the war Office will do more to encour-
age pigeon flying at our foreign sta