The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-07-13
TELEPHONE IN WARFARE.
Telephone Exchanges in the Trenches
and the "Hello Boys" Who
ODerate Them.

tiOnalitY. that we are lnCllneu 10 thlllh
of II as only a side issue for communica-
ton in times of war, especially when
wireless work has occupied such an i'm
portant place as means for sending
long distance messages. That this view
is entirely unwarranted. and the tele-
phone still holds its own on the battle
front in modern warfare, and has even
been greatly improved, and its useful
ness extended is shown by the uses to
which it is put along the line OF first
defense in France, and also by the sig
nal corps Of our own army.
Whenever camp is established by
our army YOU will find the signal corps
to be among the first workers to arrive.
They rapidly put up wire connecting
commissary, quartermaster, field. divis-
ion and other headquarters and have n
point to which all wires converge In the
central telephone tent. Here you VIII
find instead OF long line OF hello
girls" several signal corps men sitting
in front of telephone field switchboards
busily making connections. These field
switchboards are compact and compara-
lively light. They may be disconnected
and made ready for shipment in short
order and look like ordinary shipping
boxes when ready TO be moved.
The field telephones used by the Unit
ed States army are probably as good as
those used by any army In the world.
They have no hook which must be NOV
ed up and down to attract the central
station. for the transmitter and receiver
are one. When not In use they remain
in the telephone box. and when they
are used for talking. the connection with
the line is made by pushing a button In
the handle The ringing is all done by
turning a crank. as in the old type OF
magnetic telephones first used in coun-
try and even on city lines. When II Is
necessary TO move the camp the tele-
phones may be quickly disconnected
and shut in their boxes. and when so
disconnected they have the appearance
Of an ordinary polished oak box The
connecting wires for the telephone sys-
tenn are usually strung along on top of
fence posts and on slender iron-shod
poles which require but sharp pull TO
remove them as quickly as they were
put in.
When a line is 70 be erected quickly
the reel Of telephone wire is carried by
one man on horseback. preceded by an
other man similarly mounted and car
rying a supply OF telephone poles which
he thrusts into the ground without paus
ing as the two advance. II the exten
sion is a long one. additional supplies
are brought up by other horsemen ril
ing in the rear. A well trained squad
Of mounted signal corps men can easily
run a new line Of wire forty or fifty
miles long inside Of half a day.
Since the grounded return is usually
used In modern field telephone construc
tion. each line requires the erection o
only a single wire, the return circuit
being completed through the earth. II
a well established camp every commits
stoned officer in his tent is Instant!
available 20 call by telephone either dal
or night and even the outposts hav,
telephone stations which permit then
10 keep IN touch with what Is going ol
inside the lines
In addition 20 this regular camp telC
phone system which corresponds 20 N
telephone systems OF our largest domes
tic cities there is a special type Of IN
strument used bv scouting parties 10
purposes OF exploration. This instru
mont is light and easily portable. Il
army parlancc it Is called "serv ic
buzzer" owing 20 the fact that nois
telephone bells are replaced by a buzze
d emitting "a calling signal just lou
enough 20 bee heard a short distanc
away, set not audible TO any considers
bic distance. Even this signal may b
silenced, however. and the telephon
used strapped 20 the body and with N
head receiver continually clampcd jyo
, the ears.
The service buzzer may be used an,
where by driving a metal stake In n
ground and connecting the other term
nal to a wire fence or even 70 barbe
wire ENHANCEMENT IL Is most ofte
used In connection with a portable re,
Of bare wire of small gauge which IS "
reeled on the ground as the scoItiu
party presses forward. The instrument
Will work satisfactorily II the bare wiz
wherever II does no come into physlcs
contact with water or with metz
lground. The dry surface dirt offers su
ficient resistance to the passage Of M
= electrical current 20 prevent an actus
, short circuit. When Il II not possi6l
, TO secure a wire FOR connection. signal
may be received In wireless telegrap
, code boy making certain connections D
; the instrument
There are few applications o. knox