Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-10-09
JOTTINGS FROM
MY NOTEBOOK
By RALPH NJ. MORPHETT


rendering on the battle field is
made known by British war Of
fetal When the dogs get into
khaki the active and fast running
kinds will be used as messenger
boys. and the others as watchers
along the British battle line in
France.
As everybody Who has followed
the war news knows, the dogs OF
war" used by the British and
French armies have proved inval-
liable, PARTICULARLY as messengers.
In mf-5ag their appeal to the pub
lie for more or these four-footed
soldiers to be educated at the war
dogs training school, somewhere Ill
England. the military authorities
permit some of the recent and strik-
ing performances Of the CANNES
that are now being employed by
the British army 70 be told OF Tor
the first time.
The messenger dogs are used in
place Of men and are called to Work
over the fighting zone, where meE
rs. messengers would be in constant
danger from enemy fire. Their
vaIue lies not merely in saving the
lives of men, but in carrying mes
saees much more swiftly than men
could cover the same ground, and
with less risk OF the loss OF the
message By the death or injury o.
the messenger.
A dog can creep or run IN almost
complete safety where a man Wolid
be hit. and the lives Of many meh
in the firing line may be saved by
a message carried by dog to
point two or three miles behind
In one instance, where the Ger
mans launched an attack, messages
of great Importance were carried by
dogs. which had TO. swim across
stretch of water TO reach the head
ouarters with which it was neces-
sarv 10 communicate. On another
occasion. in which the Black Watch
was concerned, a Cream-cOIOred
Iurcher, known as Creamy, carried
a map showing a new line which
had been established, as well as an
important message, and carried Il
in 25 minutes, where a man would
have taken three hours-1f he had
got through.
Creamy was under heavy shell
fire during his journey, but came
through unEurt, as most or the
messenger dogs usually do. The
percentage Of dogs lost is small
and after q years work Creamy IS
still doing his bit"
Occasionally there is a loss to be
recorded. Some time ago one Of
the dog messengers reached his
Headquarters with the lower part OF
his Jaw shattered. He delivered his
packet. but was 50 severely wound
ed that he had to be destroyed. In
similar circumstances a man would
10 doubt have won a medal or the
Victoria Cross. These war dogs
have not only to so through rifle
and machine-gun fire, as well as
she'll fire. but have to find their way
through the maze OF Craters and
broken wire which covers the fight
ing area. They rarely go wrong.
This is no doubt due TO the training
which they receive at the war dogs
training school. Their education IS
most thorough. It is done without
a whip-there is not a single WHIP
in the school-and the greatest care
has to be taken that they shall not
receive a shock at the beginning.
They are first accustomed 70
hearing a rife fired, and the firing
is gradually brought closer, until
they will stand easy" while a
squad of men fire Immediately over
their heads. They are introduced
in turn to bombs and guns OF all
sizes. up TO the great 15-inch. They
are taken through smoke and
through water, through barbed
wire entanglements and every i'm
aginabIe kind of obstruction Like
good soldiers, they become used 10
anything. and 60 through anything
at the end of their course without
turning a hair.
They learn jumping and swim
ming and thoroughly enjoy cross
country races, in which they have
to leap hurdles, crawl through wire
or jump or swim dykes. No dog is
sent to the front unless it is able 20
carry a message for three miles.
and some have done five-mile runs
before going to France. One dog at
the front is recorded as having car
ried a meesa~7 eight miles in q
miIfIte over lour. Another has
done five miles half an hour, and
q third, three miles and three-quar-
tiers in 30 minutes. Of one dog
messenger it was reported that he
could be sent anywhere within a
radius of four miles" AS a rule.
the trained dog cen cover about a
mile ard CUartar n five minutes.
To make q gCcE messenger a dog
must be sensible" and a good
jumper. Dogs of breeds smaller
than mentioned are OF no use. One
of the strong points Of the dog as
messenger is that neither darkness
nor fog stops him. Once properly
trained, the dog can he trusted to
find his way home so long as lie
is able to move.
RFYOND THE TIDE.
Out in the storm my boat rocks to
and fro.
But I am safe from danger here. I
know;
For God in love nv skin so frail
shall guide
Beyond the tide
What though the storms so fierce