The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-09-23
SIGNAL CORPS MAY
 BE ORGANIZED HERE
Movement is Progressing and
 Will Probably Succeed.
GENERAL GREELY WRITES
Chief Signal Officer of the United States Army Explains the Require. ments-offieers and Privates
 to Be Electricians.

A new military company is being or ganized in Birmingham. It Is to be a signal corps, and some of the best of the citys young men are to be It's of ficers and privates. For some time the men interested in the movement have been hard at work, and at last they have gotten the matter in such shape as to make it public.
 The prime movers in the organization of the corps are F. M. Joy. Frank Jones and J. T. Robertson. and a dozen or more names have been secured on the petition asking for authority to organize. Almost every one who will be member of the company will be a practical elec- trician, and quite a number will be tele- graph operators. Electricians and oper- ators are needed more in an organiza- ton of this kind than any other class of men, and as many as possible will be secured.
 Already Mir Joy has been in communi- cation with the war department at Wash ington, and with Adjutant General Bran don at Montgomery. and he has receiv- ed great deal of encouragement. A sig cal corps Is badly needed in the A. N. O.. It Is practically the only branch of the service not represented in the guard.
 The equipment and other facts con- corning the signal corps are best ex- plained in the following letter to MT. Joy from the chief signal offcer
 War Department. office of the Chief
 Signal Officer. Washington.
 "Sir-lt is thought that most desirable organization for state national guard signal corps would be made up of four companies, forming a battlion. One or more of these companies could be skel- etonized, or appear on paper only, and hled up in case of necessity. Each com pany should be commanded by a captain and have as many junior officers as the nature of the duties require, say three or four. Because of the varied nature of the duties of enlisted men of the na- tional corps, 1t is impractieable to arbi- trarily fix the number of non-commis- stoned officers and privates in a com pany. Based on the grades of enlisted men allowed by law to the United States signal corps a company, would consist of
 
 about the same proportions: Master sig nal electricians 1, first class sergenats 5, sergeants Q, corporals ,, first class pri- yates 25, privates 8, cooks l.
 The company organization is chiefly for purposes of administration such as mus ter, etc., for in active service the officers and men of a company will seldom serve together as unit but will be broken up into small detachments and squads as OCCa sion demands bac obo the great and ever increasing value of electrical communication, and the neces- sty for telegraph operators and men skilled in installation, operation and re- pair of telephones. Because of the great improvements in portable wires and ap- paratus visual signaling. although still useful and at times Indispensable, Is in many cases superseded by electrical com munication.
 It is desirable that a majority of the en- listed force should have knowledge of the theory of electricity and be able to set up and operate telegraphlc and telephonic instruments. Telegraph operators readily acquire proficiency in visual signaling, and in the use and care of the various instru- ments employed herewith.
 A drill and equipment manual Is in course of preparations when issued a copy will be sent to the adjutant gen. eral of your state. The drill Is, in gen. eral, that of the cavalry soldier, both for the individual and for the company
 The equipment is that of the cavalry. emitting the saber, if used at all. should be worn only on occasions of ceremony.
 Considerable attention is being given to armlng the men in the field. and while the revolver is considered to be still es- sential. weapon of greater range should be provided and carried when needed.
 The equipment of a signal corps covers a very wide field; for state organization it will depend largely on the amount of money that will be allotted for this spe- cial branch of the service. Flags and hel- iographs for day and acetylene lanterns for night signaling will be found sufficient for visual signaling.
 If electrical communications are re- quired, means of transportation must bt provided for the telephone switchboards keys, sounders relays, batteries wire etc., which are to be used.
 In a general communication of this char acter 1t Is, however, impossible to present | a complete scheme of equipment muci being necessarily left to the judgment o ! the officer who Is to install the system and who should be familiar with the topo graphy of the country where the materials are to be used.
 | In accordance with law, signal corps supplies are no longer issued to troops | of the National guard. but may be pur- chased by the state from the signal corps of the army, payment to be made from the money allotted by the general govern ment to the state for the support of the organized militia.
 The uniform for officers and enlisted men of the signal corps is set forth in gen eral orders No. 132. war department, 1902 copy of which can be obtained upon ap- plication to the military secretary war department, Washington, D. C.. Very re- | spectfully, A. W. GREELf, Chief Signal Officer.