The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-10-06
AUTOS NOW MADE INVISIBLE To
THE EYE BY "CANOUFL TAGGING"
ARTISTS IN CALIFORNIA ARE DEC
GRATING AUTOS THAT CANNOT
BE SEEN By MAN.
Il Day Coming When Only the Smoke
Can Be Smelt and the Noise
Heard7

Out in California comes the word that
demonstrating" will soon be national
art among Americas famous artists.
classicists. crbists and inprcsstontsts.
To automobile owners. this is Of spe-
cial interest. for it is III" motor car
that is first roped. tied and "camou-
flaged.'
Autos Cannot Be Seen.
Irnagi.n your automobile being so
decorated tina: standing still or moving
at any speed. il will prov" invisible to
tho -y" ~ short distance.
That is what is called "Camouflang-
ing your car. in other words. painting
it SO that X looks like what it amt:
OF such tremendous import is this art
hat the government has taken it Under
It's wing, and the colony OF artists who
formed this society spread the study
ali over In. country. until the govern
meut took c"cni2ar!cs. Of the movement
and absorbed all the various societies
under n government department.
Artists Painting Car.
A committee Of three prominent San
Francisco artists have been delegated
70 paint car with color patches. which
suggest nothing except the surround
ing earth. trr..S. grain fields. sky. etc.
resulting in the car blending IN with
rs surroundings. and will be IN exact
facsimile OF the cars now being used
by the allies along the various war
fronts.
When completely "camouflaced" the
disguised car will start on long tour
TO familiarIza people with this very I'M
portaat addition to our military life.
This study Of Camouflang;nG is al
most unknown 10 the people Of this
l.; -, fkr
war 1t is one of the CONSEQUENCES Of
the growing Importance of aeroplares
in warfarc. It is the disguise and con-
cealrnent Of military things. the art OF
making them look like something harm
less and embarrassing to nm observer.
The great bulk of this work, is quite
simple and consists in c"ac"aling bat
tericS and equipment by means OF OBJ
vious natural materials. such as trees.
bushes grass. rocks. etc. the pues-
tion in the main being To make them
look like harmless details o fthe land
Scape.
War "Ca1nouflage."
More complicated questions arose.
Roads had TO b. screened for miles. both
at the sides and from above. Village
streets had 20 he made TO look empty.
while great armies passed behind 4
painting. at times quarter 20 Il half
mile Of painted canvas used as fore
ground New bridges had to be hidden
SO completely that no observer could
distinguish them Railroad trains were
so disguised that they melted Into their
surroundings.
In France tho services rendered by IA
NOUS artists were soon recognized AS
most Important. and necesSitated the
formation OF the section oc Camouflage.
A11Jas %ha
Each army OF the allies has now an
equipment Of Camouflage. commanded
By an officer responsible 70 the general
staff Orders are communicated to the
chief Of section. who takes his squad
Of Camoufleurs to~the spot where it is
necessary TO make transformation.
along the roads and streets. in all places
where the eye OF the enemy may sur
prise movement. long canvas"s stretched
across In retreating layers painted ac-
cording to the psculiarities O! the land
scape behind which troops may pass I'M
observed BY the enemy.
Enemies Invade o. 8.
II It should ever happen that this
country is invaded by foreign foe. and
aeroplanes arc used for observation. the
present government which bids fair TO
have its dcvotees In every city and town
in the country. will result in having on
hand vast army OF American camou-
fleurs who would know every 'kink' in
the method of American camouf!ag!ng to
save the lives Of our men and 10 pre-
vent the movement OF troops ana sup
plies from being intcrf"red with