Omaha daily bee., 1917-04-27
Department of Agriculture
Weather and War
Bg Frederic J. HaskiB

Washington, D. C., April 24-Since our dec
| laration of war service of the weather bureau
| to the general public has been stopped-its OBJ
servations OF the movements of shipping are no
| longer published These observations are made
upon larger scale than ever, in order that the
| government may have the fullest possible knowl-
| edge OF the whereabouts Of our merchant vessels
| which must be protected from submarines but
! the information is withheld from publication to
| keep it out Of enemy hands,
| Our daily weather map, which shows the
| movements OF storm areas over and near the
| North American continent, will doubtless also be
withheld from publication il actual hostities take
| place. for weather is an important element IN war.
| The firing OF big guns at long range and the use
of torpedoes are largely affected by weather con-
dons In a naval battle off our coast an enemy
feet which did not know what TO expect in the
way of weather would be at disadvantage com
pared to our own; for all possible information is
furnished by the weather bureau to the Navy de-
partment every day.
The importance of weather in war is shown by
| the fact that when the European war broke out
all OF the belligerent governments Immediately
withheld from publication their weather observa-
tons, which had until that time been used for
| publication of an international weather map of
the Northern Hemisphere.
In addition to these regular services OF report
ing the movements of vessels from its coastal sta
tons in cooperation with the coast patrol and
keeping the Navy department informed as to
meteorological conditions, the weather bureau is
now making studies of the upper atmosphere,
| which are of the greatest military value. The
| observation of upper air currents by means OF
kites and balloons which the bureau has been
| carrying on for several years is largely for the
| benefit OF the aeronautcal corps This informa-
| ton is also of value to the coast defense and
| naval gunners for in firing at long range the big
guns throw their projectles several thousand feet
in the air, and knowledge of what wind veocities
will be encountered at these heights is indispens-
| able to accurate pointing.
These services which the weather bureau is
| able to contribute to the efficiency Of the nation
| as fighting organization are really the least i'm
portant part of its activities even in war time For
our war problem is chiefly one of food supplies
and in the production and transportation OF foods
the prophecies of the weather bureau are impc-
lily relied upon for protection from floods, snow,
! frost, storm and drouth. In Medford, Ore,
which is the heart of the northwestern fruit coun-
| try, the bureau has special man to warn the
orchardists against the approach OF frosts When
| this man says the word millions OF little oil
burners are lit in the orchards and the apple BIOS
SONS are brought safely through freezing nights
| by artificial heat. Down in Louisiana the people
have stores and warehouses along the river front
and rely upon the food warnings implicitly. If
| the weather bureau says the river is going to
rise ten inches during the night they move their
| property thirteen inches higher, and go to bed
with perfect confidence that it will not get wet.
| The food and storm warnings of the weather
bureau are the features of its service that save
the most in life and property; but for its crop
| protection bulletins are equally important. 1t
gets out special publications for the cotton corn
and cattle regions, which let the farmers and
ranchmen know approximately what they may
expect for some days in advance. Railroads also
make liberal use OF the weather bureau service.
| especially in timing shipments of live stock and
| pershables. incidentally, any citizen may call
| upon the bureau for information about the
| weather. If you going weeks fishing
! trip you have right to ask your local forecaster
for special information as to what kind of weather
you will have.
The basis of the bureaus forecasting service is
a mass of Genealogical information which has
been gathering for over century. 1t is interest
ing to know that the greater part of this informa-
ton has been collected not by trained specialists,
| but by American citizens giving voluntary serv-
ice. Ours is really volunteer weather bureau.
For the bureau has only 200 meteorologists in
observatories about the country but 1t has 5000
volunteer observers. These are citizens who have
shown themselves reliable and willing. They
| are provided by the bureau with maximum and
| minimum thermometers and with rain gauges, and
| they send in daily reports. These reports, COW
ering the whole United States, county by county,
and continued for long periods, are the most
| valuable work of the weather bureau, and upon
| that its efficiency is largely based.
|