Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-05-15
Wire Workers Wanted
By Frederic j. HaSkin

Washington, May 12.-There are thousands,
even hundreds OF thousands, of men and women
| in the United States today who asking them
selves the question, What can do" Only a
small percentage OF the population can actually
| take the field and there is not a single citizen
who is not made uncomfortable by the thought
that he is doing nothing Of national value in the
| supreme national emergency, even though he is
idle against his will. What can ! do?" The
question comes from every side. The United
| States army signal corps can answer 1t tor sew
eral thousand patriotic men and women.
The signal corps will need telegraph oper
ators. 1t will need thousands of them. Efficient
telegraph and telephone and radio battalions are
as essential to a victorious army as good nerv-
Gus system is essential to healthy body. The
wires and the radio waves the nerves of the
army, sensitive and alive, co-ordinating effort,
carrying ORDERS communicating vital informa-
ton. The signal corps will need telegraph oper
ators. Where is it going to get them?
The requirements for the personnel OF the
signal corps are the same as those for any other
branch of the active service, with the added
qualification that goodly percentage OF the men
must be expert telegraphers, They must measure
up to the physical standard, come within the age
limits and SO far as passibe be free from depend
ents. For the army as at present authorized 1000
such men will be needed and reserve of 1000
more will be almost equally necessary.
These 1000 or 5000 telegraph operators,
young, sound free from dependents are easily to
be had in the United States-but when they
go into army service, who is going to take their
place? This is question really vital to the ma
ton. There is positively no surplus of capable
operators in the country at all adequate to the
new demand, according to officers Of the signal
corps. -Four thousand operators leaving the in
terror lines of the country would seriously hamper
their efficient operation. And the efficient opera
ton Of the interior telegraph lines is absolutely
essential a nation at war
This need opens a road to service for several
thousand men and women, including men physi-
cally or otherwise untitled for active military
service. Properly trained women can take the
places of men on interior telegraph lines, and
the same applies to men who are unfit for active
service. But they must be prepared for real work.
says the same officer An efficient telegraph opera
tor is only made by patient practice and applica-
ton covering hours of work daily for months.
The necessary time runs all the way up to year
and half. Six to eight months would probably
strike an average. This shows, too, the necessity
for beginning at once 1t may be less than six
months to the day when the field forces call for
their operators.
Men of the proper age and otherwise fitted for
active military service who take up telegraphy
and make themselves proficient in it will most
probably be assigned to signal corps battalions
on joining the army. Such service is usually par
ticuarly interesting to men who have made
study OF telegraphy, say the officers of the corps
Every division Of infantry and cavalry in our
new army will have assigned to it one field bat
talon of signal corps. A normal infantry divi-
sion consists of about $4,000 men, so that the
drafted army of 100000 alone will call for eight
cen field battalions. Each field battalion consists
OF one radio company, one wire company and
one outpost company.
An army corps consists of two or more divi-
sions, and in addition to the field battalions ac-
companying each division, the signal corps sup
plies each army corps with az telegraph battalion
consisting of two telegraph companies The field
battalion keeps the division commander in con-
slant communication with brigade commanders
and with the cavalry forces attached to each dvi-
sion. The telegraph battalion keeps the divisions
in touch with the field base and maintains camp
telephone service. The outpost company keeps
the brigade commander in touch with the sepa-
rate regiments and with smaller units. All wire
companies are equipped with materials for set
ting up and operating many miles of line with
great rapdity. A single telegraph company will
probably carry 1900 lance poles and forty miles
of wire.
Thoroughly capable operators are required for
all this work. The army uses various telegraph
codes and numerous other means of signaling
as well. These latter include flags, torches,
searchlights, photographs, soma hores rockets,
bombs, special pistols and long list of others.