Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-19

Nov ES OF peace, but pigeons OF war! 1hS
~ carrier pigeons, a branch of military
organization, centuries older than the
aeroplane service, though they are figuring
perhaps more Importantly in the present con-
fllct of nations than at any previous time In
martial history Instead of hangers, scat
tered about the campaign area, there are
lofts for this arm of the fighting force; and,
since pigeons belong to the ranks of animate
creatures their creature wants are supplied
by a special commissary department They
are highly esteemed by the generals. The
latest inventions of scence--the field tele-
phone, the wireless telegraph, the heliograph,
the motorcycle and the aeropane-have by
means robbed them of their value as dis
patch bearers,
The Egyptian navigators of the time of the
Pharoahs let the land-follls know they were
coming home by releasing pigeons from
their ships. In the Orient the use of hominS
pigeons for carrying messages is very an
cient In the 7th century the Arabs main
tanned a regular pigeon post At the time
of the first Crusade the Christian command
ers found that the Saracen enemy was utiliz-
ing such a mail transport for military pur-
poses, they trained falcons to chase and
intercept the messenger birds.
To and From Beleaguered Paris
fOIly y-lOul years dBOt uuilhS tHS SlO6S Va
Paris, homing pigeons were again of con-
splcuous service in the exchange of wartime
communications. In that famous period "A
balloons took pigeons to Tours and other
points, whence, it Is estimated, 800 messages
were sent on wings to Rarls. Somebody has
figured it out that the total number of mes
sages-perhaps 50,000-Carried by the same
means, during the siege, would make
library of 500 volumes. Constant communica-
ton between the beleaguered city and the
outside world was maintained. Mcrophoto-
graphs of military dispatches, private letters
and even newspapers were exchanged. These
communications were printed on films OF coll
lodon by process developed by Barriswill
and Dragon, Two to three thousand char
acters could be photographed on film two
inches long and an inch and half wide The
messages were read by placing them in a.
stereopticon and throwing them on a screen.
In other wars of modern times pigeons
have been more or less extensively used. At
the siege of Leyden in 1874 they proved of
great advantage to the Dutch. Unlike most
of the European nations of today, Holland
has no military pigeon system but the Gov
ernment encourages the breeding and train
ing of these birds. When the American fleet
was In Cuban waters waiting for the Spanish
ships to come out of Santiago communica-
tion with the land forces was partly by
means OF pigeon service. The employment
of the birds a sea, however has not been so
successful, generally. as on land. The French
have tried many experiments, in which they
found that the pigeons bore voyages well,
and would fly 800 miles more TO shore sta
tions with great accuracy, but could not be
depended upon to go from ship to ship.
Bismarck Learns Lesson
Bismarck, with whom preparations for war
was gospel and creed, learned from the
enemy. among other lessons of the Franco
Prusslan War. the possibilities of a flying
messenger corps. Immediately after the
treaty of peace he established in Berlin a
pigeon loft for the use of the army, Within
three years other military lofts had been
established at Cologne, Metz. strassburg and
Baden. The Emperor gave prizes to encour-
age the sport of pigeon racing. and ten years
after the war there were no fewer than 17s
private homing pigeon societies in Germany
owning a total Of 62,240 birds. exclusive OF
the military hoeks.
Italy followed the example OF France and
Germany There are IS military lofts in
Italy, 5 in Russia IS in Spain, Il in Portugal,
7 in Austria, IN Switzerland, several in
sweden and In Denmark. These are ante
bellum figures
HAaASS has . sAAAsas~As +4+s4i ~"4Shs "4She
the eastern boundary, where the fighting is
going on. About hundred birds are sta
toned at each OF the provincial points, while
In Paris there are something like 10000.
ThrouKhout the country there are 100000 prl-
vataly owned hamlnE pigeons which the
Government Il empowered BY law 70 cons
manaeer ii case Of need The hemers rem
dered such service IN the Franco Prusslan
war that 40 wonder the French nation has
great respect for their usefulness II War
"A 1915 there Wese 10 military pigeons either
u France q e1seWhsEe. ana thelf uoa1eeIaz-