Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-06-27
CAR SIGNAL CORPS
OF u. S. Army
Romance Of Present Day Warfare
Hidden Under Prosarc Title
The War Grim and Ugly.
NO PLAY TO THE GALLERIES.
There is No Sleeping at the Switch for
Officers and Men Of the Signal
Corps Of u. S. Army.
Especial to Evening Capital, by Jean
Cabell o'Neill, Columbus, n. III,
June 20, 1916.


Part l.
Under the prosaic title of the United
States Army Car Signal Corps most of
the romance of present-day warfare is
hidden. for this branch of the service
includes the work of the wireless sta
tons ami of aviation
ALI the dramatic efforts on the part
of the officers of the First Aero Squad
ron and much of the information as to
what is transporting during the punitive
expedition in Mexico is the result of
the Signal Corps operations. Was as
played in 1916 is a grim and ugly af-
fair in most of its aspects, in many of
its zones. The glitter and beauty of
war as read of in romantic history
where brave knights. cavaliers and
warriors went forth to battle and by
Individual effort. win fame and fortune
has passed away with the invention of
wholesale slaughter, machine-mad
murder. as it were.
This is not an overdrawn description
of the conduct of such affairs in the
lands over the seas. Flags have been
banished, and no general would now
suggest binding white plume on his
cap for his men to follow. He would
probably have his sanity investigated
il he even suggested what was once
a brilliant example of personal hero
ISM But although the Signal Corps
has eliminated the necessity for any
such gallery play, and though its title
may be misleadingfor signaling is the
smallest part of the work for this eff
Client branch of war work. the teleg-
raphy of war is a vital and thrilling
part of the game-so quietly, so in
stantly is the work performed that
much of the credit of the performance
is not given, because there are no her
aids to proclaim what is going on; the
members being each counted upon to
do his part, because it is part of his
code to do or die in the doing of duty.
But to the thinker romance is a long
way from dead, when one studies the
matter of wireless telegraphy as radio
telegraphy is popularity called This
magical force has conquered the ele-
ments and annihilated distance and
time, whose symbols reach far over
river and mountain ami countryside
ings in the far away heart of Mexico
into the Army base here almost in the
twinkling of an eye.
The War Department would be pow
erless to commando direct or to coun-
sci the officers at the base or in the
field without radio telegraphy. Com
manders at the point of striving would
not be able to ask for supplies to re-
port accidents or fights, the thousand
ami one items of interest passing be-
tween the Army base and the punitive
headquarters are the work of radio tel
egraphy, where there is need of haste
and where life and death hang ON the
messages radiating through the blue
arch over Mexico and many parts of
the border.
Almost fairylike is the record of
needs ami emotions flashing through
the ether from our radio Geographic
station at the Army base at Columbus
New Mexico. In tabloid form are the
things of life and death passing
through this important station-this
station which never sleeps, is always
listening for calls from any point of
the compass, the wireless radio teleg-
raphers are always ION the job"
Almost in the space of deep
breath San Antonio can get Columbus,
in turn the message from Fighting
Freddie" could be speeded on it's way
20 Of Axyir np
faster than wind can travel to San Di-
ego, Cal. All these points are in COM
munication with the simple-looking
mast that looms so silently above the
camp over the railroad track. The
fastest sort of train would take more
than twenty-four hours to travel where
the message over the aerial is practi-
caly instantaneous.
And this powerful station is throw
ing its messages so far, so wide-doing
such valiant service in this long
drawn out struggle for foreign terri
tory called the expeditionary forces in
Mexico is simple affair, seemingly,
the equipment springing out from e
motor tractor.which is really the whole
works itself, except the mast and the
wires. This station was brought to
Columbus under its own power about
the time this town sprung into first
page position, after the visit of Pancho
Villa last March.
1t took eight men just ten minutes
and eight seconds to set up the mast,
get the wires out and be ready for
business-pretty lively stage setting,
one can easily believe. Communica-
ton was thus established with Fort
Sam Houston, and the next move in
the game of war was to open up Mexico
to the United States via radio tele-
graphic route. Casas Grandes was the
first point of foreign land laid under
tribute as far as the air was con-
cerned.