The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-08-28
FIGHTING BY TELEPHONE.
It's Advantages on the Firing Line Both
in Work and Play.

It's Advantages on the Firing Line Both
in Work and Play.
If the telephone were not part of
the army equipment today the war sim
ply could not be conducted at all along
the present lines. The war thus far has
has been an artillery duel. Without the
telephone the big guns would be useless
fer the objective is rarely, if ever, in
sight of the battery.
The gunners train their guns on the
target by laying them at fixed angle
with sCme definite visible point The
captain goes to 4 place from which he
can see the enemy, and has telephone
line run out to him from his battery.
Watching the fall CT the shells, he tele-
phones in the necessary corrections.
In the German artillery trenches Or
ders and instructions are sent almost
exclusively by telephone, the soldier at
lending it lying face downward and call
ing out instructions for firing, giving
the range and the distance.
The perfection which has been at
tanned in means of communication is a
factor Of incalculable value.
For instance, the possibility Of such a
departure from the front as that of Gen
eral Sir John French recently would
have been unthinkable in other days.
Today, however, General French can
| return to England, confer with Lord
Kitchener and Premier Asquith, attend
councils before the king, and in the
meantime hold hourly conference over
| the telephone with Sir Archibald Murray
| at the front in France or Belgium.
A direct telephone line to the base
headquarters at St. Omer, France, from
| the home Of General French, near HYDE
Park, London, insured General French
| being IN rs close touch with conditions
at the front during his three days visit
to England as if he were present at
| headquarters.
Not the least valuable phrase OF tele-
| phone usefulness, though seemingly a
very minor one, is its ability to supply
| entertainment to the entrenched armies
/ really grave hardship of war is the
| entire lack Of diversion suffered by the
men at the front, and the strain of re
naming long in the trenches without
any amusement has frequently proved
extremely serious.
BY means of the telephone, however
"A way has been opened to overcome thi,
condition, for it has been found thai
soldiers in the front trenches can lister
TO gramophone concerts being eniove,
by men in the camp eight miles in tn,
rear.
The report does not specify how wide
y this means of diversion has been EN-
ployed so far, but limited as it's applica
!, ton must OF necessity be at present. i
IS undoubtedly of very definite value.
In obtaining information regardir,
: he movements of the enemy the tele
phone is Of the greatest significance
ond the multitude Of adaptations an,
skilful manoeuvres to transmit informa
tion by telephone unknown to the enem
are practically unlimited
Examples of these various devices ar
manifold, but one instance warrants o,
9ecial mention.
I One day during q change in positio
b the russian trooDs in hundreds passe
o1 by man in soldier 3 uniform living i
ditch, where he complained of rheums
ism, but refused aid
Finally, a Gossack patrol came alon,
5 and one Of the Cossacks, suspeeting this
+ the man might be spy, struck hi
I with n whip.
0 AT this he leaped to his feet. revea
/ inc telephone, over which he had bee
/. telling the Germans of everything tn;
1 had passed along the road.-Tit Bits.