Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-04
THE SIGNAL SERVICE
Annual Report Of General
Greedy.
LARGER FORCE URGED
WASHINGTON CONNECTED WITH
THE UPPER YUKON.
Telegraph Lines and Cables in the
hilippines-Successful Use of
Wireless Telegraphy.

mass of interesting information regard
ing the operatio of the signal service of
the armys is contained in the annual report
of General Gree.y, chief signal officer, made
public today A reorganiZa ton Of the corps
with increased strength is recommended in
view of the growing dem ands resulting from
the enormous development of fire control
work and the practical completion of the
Alaskan system of telegraph lines. Cen
eral Greedy says the depleted condition CT
the available Signal Corps both officers
and men, was Strikingly evidenced by the
army and navy maneuvers on Long Island
sound and at the inland camp at Fort
Riley. 1t is recommended that the commis-
stoned force of the corps be increased by
the addition of one colonel, two lieutenant
colonies, one major, eight captains, and
eight first lieutenants The vacancies thus
caused in the lower grades, General Greedy
says, should be filed by detail from the line
of the army. He believes that the addition
of 100 first-class private and fifty privates
would meet the requirements of the future.
1T is hoped" says General Greedy that
the discrimination made against the Signal
Corps in deDarring it's officers from the
broadening influences and developing ad
vantages to be gained by detail be remedied
by legislation"
The chief signal officer says that an in
crease of the clerical force of the office is
absolutely necessary to keep pace with
current demands.
The estimates for the fiscal year ending
June so. 1904, aggregate $40 900. The esti-
mate for the signal service is an increase of
$4,000 over the appropriation for the fiscal
year. The increase of 1922, SEQ in the esti-
mates for artillery fire-control work is
made in accordaice with the state M mt Of
the chief of artillery that this additional
sum will be needful for the proper instaila-
ton and maintenance of the artillery fire.
control service. The basis of this estimate
is $3.50 completed emplacements at 81 900
each.
The expenditures during the past year
amounted to $3.50, 752. During the preceding
year the eXpenditu! es were S914, 132.
Telegraph Lines in Alaska.
The report contains an account of eX-
tremely difficult field operations in Alaska
in the extension of military telegraph and
cable lines. Referring to the c1-ope-ati n
in telegraph work between Canada and the
United States, General Greedy says:
THE distinguished premier of Canada, SIR
Wilfrid Laurier, expressed personally to the
chief signal officer his desire to further any
plan which would bring the United States
and Canada into closer and more cordial
relations, especially in Northwest America.
LAS a result of this cooperative work the
telegraph line between Dawson and Fort
Egbert was completed May ), 1901, placing
the American territory on the upper Yukon
in direct Geographic communication with
Skagway, whence by steamer kilograms
could reach Washington under ordinary
conditions in four days. On September 4,
1901, the Canadian line between Dawson
and Ashcroft was completed, thus bringing
the upper Yukon region of the United States
Washington and the rest of the commercial
world
Operations in the Philippines.
General Greedy says that the magnificent
system of telegraph lines and cables in the
Philippines was very largely constructed
and installed under Colonel Allen. This
system, increased during the fiscal year by
1900 miles, consisted on June 80, 1902 of
thrty-one submarine cables 1926 miles In
length, and land lines 510s miles in length
making an aggregate of 6,434 miles.
The Pacific Cable.
Regarding Pacific cable the chief sig
nal officer says:
1.-The United States within the past four
years has demonstrated in a manner never
before seen by the world the Importance
of electrical communication in war, and
it alone of all nations refrainS from INSTALL
ing, operating and maintaining a submarine
cable between this country and our Asiatic
possessions. Such cable in war times
while not costing half as much, would be
worth half dozen warships, as stated by
competent naval authorities. Such a cable
operating at greatly reduced tariff rates,
would not only pay good interest on the
invested capital, but would greatly faciIi-
the east by affordng speedy and economi-
cal facilities to citizens of the United
States
Wireless Telegraphy.
In regard to wireless telegraphy, the
chief signal officer says:
early in 1899 the signal corps devised
a system of wireless telegraphy which was
the first one ever successfully operated at
a distance in the United States, it trans
hitting messages satisfactorily between
Fire Island and Fire Island light, a dis
lance of 10 miles.
This system, improved in details and in
stalled more than two years since in San
Francisco harbor, has worked satisfactorily
the entire time, except for a few hours
needful to replace broken parts. This is
believed to be the longest record of sat
isfactory working between any stations
and it has been done not by highly paid
experts but by the enlisted men of the
signal corps, whose skill and intelligence
are worthy of commentator.
The Post at Fort Myer.
In a special chapter in regard to the sig
nal corps post at Fort Myer, va, Gen.
Greedy says, in part:
1.-THE primary function Of the post is the
instruction of not only officers but also re-
cruits and other unframed men of the signal
corps to high degree Of professional eff
cheney.
Recruits are worked from eight to ten
hours daily in duties of the soldier foot
drills, instructions in army regulations,
guard duty, In the garrison duties of the
soldier, and in practical and theoretical in
struction In electricity, telegraphy, tele-
phony, in property and money accountable
ity. The current work of instruction, how
ever, suffers greatly from the lack of train
ed officers as instructors To remedy this
the chief signal officer has arranged for as
sistance from sources outside of the post.
This method will give the officers and
men of the signal corps the best theoretical
instruction attainable
There are very badly needed. in order to