El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-01
WIRELESS PLAYS
IMPORTANT PART
Cumbersome Field Tele-
graph System in War Is
Now Changed.


Berlin, Germany. Sept. $50 far, at
least as the German army Is concerned,
it is apparent that the old field tele-
graph. which played such an import
ant part in previous wars, has been
entirely supplanted in this great Euro
pean war. BY the wireless The labori-
Gus and lengthy process Of laying wires
between distant points TO establish
communication is now obsolete. Only
among established lines Of communica-
ton viii wires be used in this war for
telegraph and telephone service.
The field equipment OF the German
army consists almost entirely Of porta-
bic wireless outfits. The great advan-
tage Of the wireless over the old wire
method is that the enemy cannot cut
of any army's communications and II
code be used the enemy cannot tap"
the messages
Germans' Equipment Best.
In the warning countries other than
Germany, portable wireless equipments
nave been used but they are cum ber-
some and far from being easily han
died The German engineer has, how
ever. worked hand in hand with the
service man and the lcaiser's forces are
now equipped with a means Of COM
municatiOn which is so light and port
able that a mOtorcyclist with a sided
car can readily transport one Of the
outfits distance Of 200 miles in one
day
The short range instruments which
are used mainly will send and receive
over an average distance Of % miles.
Where the country is extremely level.
as in Holland, perhaps such an instru-
ment would work over a space of 40
OF so miles w-hf1n in a hf11v- H-rr
perhaps the range would be IS or
In addition to these the Germans
have larger sizes Of portable wireless,
capable Of sending and receiving mes
ssges over a distance Of $50 to $50
miles
Portability Prime Requisite.
While the range is good the distance
TO which messages can be sent has not
been an object Of the construction. so
much as has been portability and ease
Of erection. AS regards the latter point
the equipment can be uulOaded. set up
and at work within Is minutes Of
arrival, 'and can be taken down and
packed in even less time. AS regards
portability, a short range outfit can be
carried by one horse, while a long
range apparatus can be carried by four
horses also carrying rider
It has been recognized that in war
II might be necessary to carry one Of
er horses nor motors could pass To
meet this contingency, the Germans
have devised a sort Of bamboo sling in
which one Of the largest sets in use can
be carried by eight men over the rough
est country.
As the German field wireless crew
usually consists of seven men. two TO
look after the horses and five to set up
the machine, with two officers to send
and receive messages, it may be seen
that the largest Of the outfits could be
carried anywhere without drawing an
extra man for the work.
Made of Aluminium.
The mast is made of an alloy largely
lghness thereby being OBJ
tanned, 1t IS made in eight sections,
each six feet in length. iOinted like
fishing rod The mast is first built up
on the ground and then raised TO posi-
ton one end Of the bottom section is
and is stuck into the ground.
The mast is also supported by guy
wires. and In case il is unsteady, the
members Of the crew not engaged in
generating electricity, hold it up
Dry batteries are used when possible
and when not, the current is generated
by small dynamo, operated by ped
aling arrangement like a bicycle.