Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-27
Establish Direct
Service From Army
Front to Washington,

Correspondence Associated Pressl
Tours, Central France. Sept. 1.-THE
American army will soon he sharing
with the French in the operation OF
the highest and most powerful wire
less sending station in the world. TINS
Is now nearing completion on the
French coast-the point can not he
stated-and its giant towers can be
seen rising $40 feet or 800 feet higher
than the Eifel tower Soon it will
be in direct touch with America with
far more power than ever before sup
lementing the cable for trans Atlantic
service and perhaps with it's new
power rivalling the cable for quick
communicat ton.
All along the front small wireless
stations have been set up to intercept
enemy radio exchanges and locate enc
my stations. Messages arc picked up
from all the capitals OF Europe and
especially from the larger German cit
les. This practice Of intercepting mes
sages seems to be universally accept
ed as war necessity and the crop
daily gathered includes those from
friends as we'll as foe. The enemy
has many small radio stations. along
the front which are IN constant COM
munication with Berlin and Hanover,
the two central enemy stations.
The American army controls quad
ripple cable line across the English
channel. which connects the French
telegraph and telephone systems d.
rectly with the English lines. Thus
iol brought fNgetn-
er for direct immediate exchange be-
tween Paris. London and American
headqua rters at the front.
An extension to trans Atlantic cable
is only a question Of time and with
this realized there is possibility at
least of direct immediate communica-
ton between Washington and Amerl-
can military headquarters at the front.
Weather forecasting and meteoroll-
Sicol work is another branch which
has become highly important IN the
American military operations. 1t has
played it's part not only in the deter
mination of the moment for big Of
fensive movements. when steady clear
weather is one of the elements OF sue
cess. but also in the extremely i'm
portant special forecasts it furnishes
the artillery branch, the air service
and the gas service.
The failure or success OF gas at
tack may turn on the fore knowledge
Of the wind and barometric conditions.
It has been a coincidence that most of
the German offensives have come dur
ing periods Of favorable weather and
this has led to statements that they
10
device Of weather forecasting. But
those who have most to do with the
service say the allied forecasters are
as expert as~any the world over
Carrier pigeon service is still an
other branch of communication which
the American army is finding highly
advantageous in the field. The pig
eoneers as they are called have be-
come an important adjunct to the
'front.' with several hundred enlisted
men and a score of officers, equipped
with rolling lofts. breeding stations.
etc. Some of the leading pigeon fan
ciers have been commissioned in this
branch. and they are breeding birds
of the finest stock. Captured enemy
pigeons show that the Germans are
also using very fine birds and are
placing much dependence on the car
rier service.
There is also the motorcycle des-
patch service as an adjunct to the
telegraph for carrying maps and long
documents too bulky for the wires, and
the Photographic branch with unit
for each division, keeping a complete
pictorial record of the American mil
itary activities.
Altogether it Is a huge work with
some to per cent Of the entire army
or about 81, 900 officers and men in
a force of a million men-maintaining
the steady flow Of communication
turnout this nerve system Of the Am
eTicsiu aFuly