Evening star., 1901-10-29
THE SIGNAL CORPS
The Annual Report Of General
Greedy.
IMPORTANCE OF A PACIFIC CABLE
Results of Establishing the Fort
Myer Post.
THE CLERICAL FORCE

Gen. Greely, chief signal officer, in hi
annual report, just issued, says:
THE operations of the signal corps hav
been nscoexistent with the operations of tn
army of the United States-not theoret
ically, but on broad lines and activities
which have comprised practically the en-
tire area, not only Of the United State
proper, but also of Alaska, Cuba, Port
Rico, the Philippines and a portion o
China. The muster out of the last volun
teer soldier would seem to mean a reduc
tion of work, but in an electrical age tn
demand of our active and progressive gen
erals has developed in the American arm,
the application of electricity to war on
scale unprecedented in military history
Incessant demands were made by militar.
commanders for intercommunication witt
their detached organizations by telegraph
and by telephone, in addition to the forme
methods of visual signaling"
Work of the Corps.
Gen. Greely says the corps should be in
creased to meet present demands. Their
have been constructed 1856 miles of tele
graph line in Alaska, and arrangement
have been made with the Canadian gov
ernment to use it's line to Alaska. The sig
nal corps operates 3,41S miles of telegraph
IN cuba, an increase of 1852 miles durin,
the year. The operations of the corps il
the Philippines have been very extensive
there being 4,S51 miles of telegraph line, al
increase of 2,054 during the year The mill
tary cable lines in the Philippines connec
Manila with Mindoro, Marinduque Mas
bate. Samar, Leyte, Cebu Negros Min
danao,- Jolo and Siasi
Concerning the work of the corps in tn
Philippines Gen. Greely says:
IF the officers and men of the Sigma
Corps had struggled only against the nat
ural disadvantages they were under thei
work in the Philippines would have com
manded commendation: but to this must b,
added the extreme difficulties arising from
the practically constant efforts of the in
surgents to destroy indispensable means @
ntercommunication. In the region south
east OF Laguna de Bay, Santa Cruz to An
timonan and thence to the head of the GuI
OF Ragay, the insurgent troops had cause,
no end of trouble and annoyance, not onl,
by the cutting of the wire, but by the re
moval or destruction of considerabl,
stretches of line. The commanding officer
at Santa Cruz Informed me that experienc,
had caused him TO furnish every repail
party with at least mile of WIRE as near
~ that amount was taken away at eacl
break. Destruction of sections of two
three or even five miles of line was not un
usual, but the climax was reached in tht
total destruction of thirty-eight miles O,
line, every insulator being broken, every
bracket destroyed or removed, every pole
cut down and the entire wire carried
away"
Gen. Greely recommends an internationa
cable conference to prepare regulations fol
cables.
Wireless Telegraphy.
Concerning experimental work he says:
In wireless telegraphy the Signal Corps
has perfected its own system, which was
the first one ever successfully operated ir
the United States, on September 80, 1899
between Fire Island and Fire Island light.
ship. distance of ten miles. There are
now In successful operation two stations :r
San francisco harbor, one at Fort Mason
ana another at Alcatraz Island. Arrange.
ments have been made for the establish.
ment OF stations in the Philippines at suit
able points.
THE chief signal officer adheres to tn
which are not entirely dependent on his
lance"
The Transpacihc Cable.
General Greedy. In recommending a Pa
cif1c cable, says:
1t Is only matter of time when Luzol
shall be connected with Japan and Tonktl
and the Chinese empire. The Philippin,
Islands are now only accessible telegra oh
lcally over short cable of about 600 mile
OF the Eastern Extension Company be
tween Manila and Hong Kong The expe
riences Of the War Department In connec
ton with the relief Of the legation at Pc
KIN show clearly the tremendous disadyan
tage under which the United States wouI,
labor without it's own cable facilities I,
case OF an extended war in the east. A,
american transpacific cable is a mtlitar,
ana commercial necessity If American in
terests are to be safeguarded in Asiatic re
slons Such a cable, while of great yaIu
miiltarlly, Will especially foster industrial
interests and facilitate commercial onera
tlons. AS 1t Is officially known that a,
american cable can only enter japan from
the east and not from Russia, China no
tne fnlilppines the only possible route
that already recommended to Congress- n,
the President via Hawaii and Guam"
Permanent Force Wanted.
In regard to the clerical force of the sig
nal Office, General Greely says:
Ihe present office force cannot be re
duced without injury to the public seryic,
and the consequent neglect to its business
II Is to be sincerely hoped that the mex
congress VIII provide permanent force
SO tnat each clerk, feeling secure in his no
sltlon, Will take more personal interest /,
the work to which he may be permanently
assigned, as under the present system an1
IT'S repeated changes and the uncertainty n
permanency 1t is impossible, however ca
pable clerk may be, to accomplish tn,
same work as under permanent condi
tionS."
Signal Corps Post, FIT. Myer, ya.
The report continues: "On December %
1898, the Secretary of War approved tn,
setting aside for signal corps post of ;
portion of the Fort Myer reservation. Th
ground was surveyed and formally as
signed to the signal corps by direction O
the Secretary of War, with the provis,
that this corps was to have no power al
to the water, sewers, roads or other mat
ters affecting the integrity of the reserya
tion as a whole.
"On the ground thus mapped and formal
ly set aside has been constructed a separat,
post known as the Signal Corps post For
Myer. Va, whereat have been erected bar
racks for force Of 100 men, quarters fo
three officers. an administration building. ;
balloon house and storehouse, In thes,
buildings have been installed a school q
instruction. wherein recruits are trained
not only as soldiers, but are qualified fo
service as electricians, telegraph OPERATOR
and signalmen. This action concentrates
orr the