The Washington herald., 1907-08-26
TN NEED OF RECRUITS
Signal Corps Is Short of Of
ficers and Men.
BRIG. GEN. ALLEN REPORTS
Chief of Branch Makes Number of
Important recommendations for
Betterment of service-TO Build a
Balloon House at Fort 0maha-Bet-
ter Pay 10 Encourage Enlistment.

'ef f"S u h-hc"''T-''se =
That military aeronauties are 10 occupy
a prominent place in modern warfare is
evidenced by the annual report OF Brig.
Gen. James Allen. Chief Signal Officer Of
the United States Army. in which he
calls attention TO the establishment at
Fort Omaha. Nebr.. Of a plant for pro
ducng hydrogen for the eiectrolysis of
water
Orders have already been placed for
the necessary elecrolytio cells and the
electrical machinery. and the quartermas-
ter's department has prepared plans for
a suitable size TO I'LL hydrogen balloons
and also large steel balloon house of
a suitable size TO FIJI hydrogen balloons
and 20 carry on experiments with any
size and shape of dirigible balloons or
flying machines which may in future be
presented for trial.
The enlisted force in the Signal Corps
aggregated 1,159 men June 30.
There is a shortage" says the report,
''bo-h in officers and men throughout the
entire service, in Cuba, Philippines, Alas
ka. and the United States.
Roster OF Signal Corps.
From the best information obtainable
from all sources. il is believed that the
Signal Corps should consist Of the fol-
lowing. one Chief Signal officer with the
rank of brigadier general. 4 colonies. 4
lieutenant colonels, z majors. So captains,
36 first lieutenants. S6 second lieutenants,
100 master signal electricians, $50 first
class scrgeauts. $50 sergeants, 800 corpo-
rails, 100 nrst-class privates 800 privates,
Go cooks. IS farrisrs and blacksmiths,
Il saddlers. "a wagoners. 4S trumpeters,
and ] band, as now authorized by law
for bands Of infantry regiments, and
each grade should receive the rank, pay
and allowances as now provided by law.
Military cable, and telegraph lines,
and wireless stations have been main
tained in Alaska, the Philippines. Cuba,
and the United States. The Washington
Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph
System consists Of 252l miles Of sub
marine cable and 1.402 miles OF land
wires and lQ7 miles of wireless.
There are forty-fve telegraph offices
and ten cable offices in this system. Of
which eighteen are money transfer Of
fees During the year. the total OF mes
sages handled was 100000 commercial and
$1,000 Official
Deserve Better Pay.
"The enlisted men Of the Signal Corps
and Of the line of duty in Alaska, says
the report. have continued 10 undergo
hardships In the maintenance Of the tele-
!
they have had specially hard times, many
of them being cut of for periods Of from
six 10 eight months from all contact with
civilization. with the temperature rang
ing many degrees below zero. A number
of men We're severely frozen. and during
the recent breaking up OF the river
which washed away 100 miles OF l'nes,
/ the men worked in cold water for days.
/ in order 30 restore communication.
1T is believed" continues the report
that such extreme conditions Of service
as exist in Alaska claim reward in the
way of more adequate compensation, and
an estimate has been submitted for extra
/ duty pay 60 enlisted men Of the Signal
/ Corps. and OF the line Of the army EN-
ployed in Alaska at the rate of % cents
/ a day.
Attention is again called TO the ne
/ cessity Of duplicating the main cable be-
/ tween Seattle and Alaska. Although, il
/ is said. the present cable is in perfect
/ condition. il is the practice Of most cable
/ companies 10 have a duplicate cable IN
/ case of accident Such a cable would
! cost $4,000.
No Change in Philippines
There has been no notable change in
the administration Of Signal Corps af-
| fairs in the Philippine Islands. II is said.
during the last year. June 50 there were
/ 6.lSS miles Of land and l4S7 miles Of cable
| IN operation.
| With regard to wireless telegraphy, the
/ report SAYS that the Quartermaster's De
paTtment has been furnished with four
marine wireless sets Tor transport service
on the ships running out of san Fran
/ cisco HaTbor- These sets are also being
! installed at Forts Levett Andrews,
! Wright, Hancock, and Worden, and plans
! have been perfected and material ordered
! for wireless installations at the Signal
! Corps post at Fort Omaha, Nebr.. at the
/ service school at Fort Leavenworth,
| Kans.. and at Fort Riley. Kans
The Characteristic feature Of the Signal
Corps work in connection with the army
| Of Cuban paci6catiOn" says the report.
has been the extension and successful
| substitution OF wireless telegraphy for the
telephone and telegraph, where lance or
field wires would ordinarily be used, and
| OF still more Importance IN establishing
| communication between points which
could not be connected by wire or cable
/ lines
Military Methods Changed.
Modern conditions have completely
changed the military methods of operat-
ing armies and handling troops in the
/ field. With the great range and eff
| cheney OF modern arms and the widely
extended terrain now employed, It is
/ essential to success that there shall be
ample and reliable lines Of information
| connecting the different armies and the
different units Of a single army in order
to insure constant and accurate control
of the forces involved
Recent field experiments with troops
have conclusively proved that for every
special trained Signal Corps soldier pro
vided. not only is the field information
service many times increased in eff
cheney. but for every such soldier taken
from the total strength of an army al
least two men are returned 10 the firing
line who would otherwise be removed
therefrom to perform the inefficient and
often impossible work of the mounted
orderly Of the past. Since this messen-
ger service must be provided. either
through mounted orderlies or trained sig
nal troops, il is manifest that the pro
vision OF a minimum per cent Of the To-
tai strength for this purpose results in