The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-06
War Departments Lessons For
Men of The National Army

I partment is the legal department OF
the army. 1t prepares opinions or
legal questions for the guidance OF
other officers or departments; serves
as the representative of the law in
military courts, and keeps the legal
records of the army. Closely related
Ia the office of provost marshal gen.
eral, who has charge, among other
things, of enforcing the selective-
service law.
Unless you work your way up to a
commission, it is not likely that you
will come into touch in any direct
way with any Of the four staff de-
partments just named. Their duties
are reviewed here simply because IL
should be interesting to you to know
how the great army machine is kept
we'll oiled and running smoothly even
in periods of great difficulty.
The Engineer Corps.
You will frequently see the other
FIVE staff branches in operation. how
ever, throughout your army life.
The corps Of engineers are the
skilled workmen of the army They
lay out permanent camps and en-
trenchments; build and repair mill
tary roads, railroads, and bridges:
dig saps and mines under the enemy's
trenches; and take care Of otner
work which requires technical skill
of this character.
Theoretically the engineer corps is
not one of the fighting arms; but in
practice they are often called upon
to fight and to perform dangerous
duties. They may build bridges or
dig entrenchments,> for example, un-
der the enemy's fire. In modern war
fare the engineers play a highly i'm
portant-and often an heroic--part
The signal corps is the message
bearer of the army. 1t carries in
formation and orders from one head
quarters to another. It is today as
essential to the conduct Of a great
army as the telephone is to the con-
duct Of a great business.
The Signal Corps.
At one time the signal corps
transmitted messages chiefly through
the use of flags. lanterns, hello
graphs (mirrors so arranged as to
reflect and flash rays of light, and
the like. Then came a period during
which it was chiefly concerned with
laying down and operating telegraph
and telephone lines;- and this is still
one of its most important duties.
However, the wireless is becoming
more and more important, even on
the battlefield.
A first-class signalman is expert
with all these various methods. He
is also a good horseman, since he
must be able to move about rapidly.
His duties may frequently carry him
irto the battle line and into other
dangerous positions, and he must
know how to defend himself: his
chief weapon Is the pistol. There Is
no branch of the service in which a
mans intelligence, initiative and
technical skill count for more.
The signal corps Of the American
army includes the aviation section,
which has grown to be Of such vital
Importance. The best-known types
of airplanes are the scouting ma
chine, which goes out to get Informal
ton by flying over the enemy's lines;
the bombing machine, which goes
out to do as much damage as pos
sible to the enemy's military works;
and the swift fighting machine,
which attacks enemy airplanes and
protects the slower scouting and
bombing machines. The work is
dangerous, but partly for this reason
is especially attractive to men Of
high intelligence and daring.