El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-05-08

N tn the dogs ssS' ---'
= = This is the cry OF the dog
fanciers throughout the country who
are acquainted with the wonderful
work these animal auxiliaries have
done on the battlefields of Europe.
1t is hoped the army general staff and
the council of national defence viii
not neglect a department which has
I become a valuable unit of every great
field force.
The dog. by its swiftness, by its
acuteness of hearing and smell, COM
bined with extreme bravery and
1althtulneSs to man. can 90 many
things better than its master and
some which the two legged soldier
cannot DO at all.
Thousands of heroic dogs today are
seeking out the wounded hidden III
brush or gullies. delivering dispatches
across shell-swept fields where all
telephone wires are cut, patroling be-
fore the foremost human soldiers
in advance movements, pulling Bel
gian machine guns into position and
dragging heavy loads over Is feet of
snow in the mountain theaters Of war.
L. :. Has Splendid Dog Reserve.
The United States has 4 splendid
dog reserve. All over the country
are fine kennels Our dogs are al
most entirely unframed for war work,
very difficult thing to teach, but II
a start is made now the brave ami
mails viii be ready to go with our
first division across the water.
For a starter. We have the police
dogs OF our cities, mostly Airedales,
who nose out burglars in the suburbs,
knock them down and hold them un-
til patrOlman runs Up. These dogs
would have TO receive additional
training, but they are one Of the
types found available for the stern
business OF war.
trained draft dogs Of Alaska, the hus-
kies that run the 400 mile snow races
every winter. \ hundred Of these
have been sent to the Vosges and are
highly valued by the French. There
are thousands more in our northern
territory which could be used.
Leo +. F. Warner. a leading dog
breeder Of East Hampstead, Long
Island, has written 10 Newton D. Ba-
ker, secretary Of war. outlining the
Importance Of dog preparedness" The
United states army has no dogs in
service today.
He has offered the war department
his services in organizing all the like
ly dogs on Long Island and will give
up his own dogs as nucleus.
Has 20 Trained for War.
Twenty Of the Warner dogs are al
ready trained for war work The dog
FLAX broke all records on the west
ern front for bringing in wounded
men Mira. an Intelligent bitch. re-
Gently trailed a burglar successfully.
-Four breeds of dogs are suitable
for war service, according to Mr..
[ Warner They are Rottweilers, Do
/ herman Pinscherss Airedales and
| German shepherd dogs. OF these he
/ thinks the last named are the best
Z Training them takes at least a year.
/ German shepherd dogs are worth
| from $1,000 to $4,000.
When the war began Prussia, as in
many other departments of war prep
/ aration. had 4 fine dog corps. while
l France had just one trained war dog
and Britain none. America must not
neglect this side OF her prepare tons
I for the fray.
French Dog Chief Tells of Value.
Paul Megnin, who owned the first
! French war dog. is chief Of the
/ French war dogs service and Of the
Z military kennels Of the Seventh army
! lNosges and Alsace)- In a recent
I Paris newspaper article he says:
/ IF there ever was the question il IS
a question no more-the dogs have
given their proof as auxiliaries Of
! our field armies. There even were
fanciers who, At the beginning Of the
war, would not believe in the i'm
mense services which dogs could rem