Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-31
THE BALLOON IN WAR.
Signal officer Declares Flying
Machines Will Have Inn
portant Part
BALLOON STATIONS ON COAST
Suggest Improvements in tho Present
Service - United States Best
Equipped in Signal Branch, But
Lacks Men - Some Of the Present
Handicapa Pointed Out.

TIdUuICaPG FOInteQ OuS.
Especial Washington Correspondence
Washington, July 31.-"This is go
ing to be the real art OF war in the
future" declared General James Allen,
chief signal officer, in cinclusion OF a
discussion Of the art of military sig
mailing, in which he had included the
ancient and obsolete arts OF "wig-wag-
ging," heliograph signalling. and also
the use of field telegraphy, wireless
work. and finally. the application of
aeronautics to the intelligence work
of army and navy.
General Allen strongly hopes that
the coming tests Of ballooning and
heaviere than air flying apparatuses
will open the way to greater accom-
plishments in these lines than have
been possible in this country thus far.
Compared with what they have done
Ia 0A'ASl AOulilllCSp SSPcSAduy ia
and Germany" he said. ut may be
set down that we have accomplished
almost nothing. These American ex-
.perimenters have done some splendid
work, but they have not had the means
to build and test the big, practical
contrivances that must be developed.
We hope that congress will provide
the money to make all this work Of the
signal corps more efficient than is
possible to have it with present means.
Equipment Good, Men Shy.
Take the signal corps as a whole,
should say that in the matter Of
material and equipment no country is
better equipped, or even so we'll, for
this intelligence work, as we are. We
have the best Of everything But we
need more men. Why. there are only
1912 men In the signal corps. The
number ought to be doubled forth
with; then it would be reasonably ade-
quate to present needs"
General Allen considers that the
dirigtble balloon Is the practical and
useful thing for the present. He Is
deeply Interested in the achievements
OF Farman and the Wrights, but adj
mits uncertainties as to just how use
full 1t can be made. "Farmsln has told
us that he would not undertake to fly
more than fifteen or twenty feet above
the ground" he said. The Wrights
assure that they can do better than
this, and that their machines will rise
as high as may be needed. We don't
know much about what they can really
do, simply because they have kept
their accomplishments to themselves.
We will know more about them. and
all the world will, as a. result OF the
trials they will shortly make at Fort
Myer. The very fact that so much
of mystery has surrounded their fly
ing. will add to the interest taken.
1t is possible they may have a real
revelation for the world"
Some Handicaps.
One feature of the heavier-t than air
machines. which in anything like their
present development detracts from
their value, Is that they must be NOV
ing. They can't stand still On the air,
tho it Is true that many birds prac-
tically do that, and perhaps the art
will one day be attained by man. But
when it is done, 1t will mark the cul-
mination OF the investigation; it will
be the proof that many has learned
the real art Of flying.
For the purposes of the dirigihle bal
loon, one difficulty is the supply OF
gas. There" said General Allen.
holding up a picture OF a big ddrigible,
"is q balloon that will hold about 100.-
900 feet OF gas. Now, this hydrogen
tube that has been perfected to carry
compressed gas, is so compact that 100
OF the tubes, weighing about 40 pounds
each, would initiate It, They could be
hauled around by a pair OF good
mules. So the problem OF the gas
supply Is pretty well solved. The
hydrogen plant which is to be operated
in connection with the mid continent
signal station at Fort Omaha, will be
the finest and largest in the world. We
will have about four com panies OF the
signal corps-400 men-there at Fort
Omaha, and it will be the great inter-
Tor point for experiments of all kinds
with aeronautics, electric communica-
ton, etc. Our officers school at Fort
I4eavenworth is one of the finest in7
stitution OF Its kind in the world. 1t
takes up and seorks out these special
ties, which it h impossible to handle
in connection with the general mill
tary education given at West Point
Balloon Stations on Coast.
tTn time we ought to have a series
Of balloon stations along the coasts,
for the purpose Of observation of enc
mics. Each should be a double estab-
lishment; that is, should have a do1-
BILE balloon house and two balloons,
with the necessary gas plant. That
would represent investment of about
100000 at each place. With a series
of these up and down the coasts, our
facilities for observing an enemy.
would be such as no country has ever
yet had in time Of war The French
and Germans keep such facilities along
their frontier, watching each other all
the time"
General Allen gives great credit to
the Japanese for their development and
practical utilization of field telegraphy
in the late war mo other country, at
that time" he declared, twas equipped
to duplicate what the Japanese did at
Mukden, in conducting great battle
by telegraph. 1t is the ideal way; the
way battles will be fought in future
wars. Here, let me show you"
Tho chiaf S}Cnal officer njcked I'm