Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-04
" H Ole FOREST
BY AMERICANS
IS CAMOUFLACE
U. S. Artists and Decorators
Aid in Deceiving Enemy
With One of Largest
Plants at Front.
Correspondence of Associated Press

Correspondence of Associated Press
BEND the American Lines in
France, Oct. ia make-believe
forest stands along the edge of the
road at the entrance to the Amer
lean camouflage station here. 1t looks
as natural as the real woods along the
fighting front, with the shiny sill
yer bark OF the beches, the rough,
jagged trunks Of the old apple trees
and the sprouting tops of the dwarf
willows.
Yet, every tree in the camouflage
forest has a steel core within which
an observer peers forth to watch
the movements of an enemy or a
machine gun is located to sweep
forth from its hidden recess. They
are only one of the many strange
devices to deceive and mystify the
enemy which this American camou-
flage station is sending forth to the
fighting army.
Origin Of the War Term.
Camouflage is one of the dis
tinctly new products of the war,
even in the name, which was used
for the first time by General de
Castlenau. chief of staff of General
Joffre. The word is not good
French, but comes from the argot,
or French slang, the verb
"camoufler" being used by the
French police to indicate any dis
guise used to capture criminals.
For example, a detective camou-
flages himself dressing as a coach
man.
Early in the war the famous por-
trait painter, Giron de Sivela, con-
ceived the idea of Disgusting bat
-teries and buildings by painting
them in fantastic patterns blending
with the landscape. He laid the plan
before General de Castlenau, who.
struck with the practical value of
the plan, exclaimed "Camouflage."
And from that time the word grew
and with it grew into tremendous
magnitude this art of misleading
the enemy.
u. S. Has Splendid Staff.
The American army has been
quick to make full use of the
strange new weapon of warfare and
the camouflage plant is one of the
most complete in existence with a
working force of nearly 1000 and
a staff including many of the we'll
known mural artists and decorators
and sculptors of America, all of
them engaged in producing these
curious devices by which military
art deceives the enemy.
One Of the officers, Captain
Saint Gaudens is son OF the Amer
lean sculptor Saint Gaudens. Anoth-
er, Major Tracy, is a prominent
architect who did much of the work
on the Lincoln Memorial. Lieuten-
ant Barry Faulkner is an American
mural artist and Lieutenant Sherry
Frey, an American sculptor in
Paris. Sergeant Leslie Thrasher,
r. Earl, Christy and Corporal Duer,
are iwell-known American illustra-
tors; Walt Lee is a cartoonist and
Sergeant Murphy is an American
mural decorator whose work is
well-known in England.
Bennion in Charge.
But there must be something
more than stage properties in the
production of these artists, they
must be practical and suited to the
uses of warfare, and it is the part OF
Colonel Bennion, head of the camou-
flage station to keep these artistic
productions within practical limits.
The colonel is an engineer officer
with West Point training. and when
any camouflage is adopted for
American army uses, it has the
double merit of being the product
of American artistic skill and at the
same time an eminently practical
device from the standpoint of mil
itary engineering. ISL.