The Ordway new era., 1918-10-04


in special camoufiage dl-
vision ends chapter In military cam
outage In America. A little more
than IA year ago 1t was doubtful wheth-
er or not the army would have any
great use for camouheurs in the forces
abroad BY the recent decree mill
tary camouflage is made an essential
in every regiment, like engineering,
trench digging, map making, ROAD
building, and sharpshooting. There
are now, according to military chmou-
fleurs In New York city. about 800 ex-
pert camoufleurs abroad with the Per
shing forces. The new order makes
II necessary for each regiment in every
training camp on this side to have
at least 16 camoufleurs to train other
men in the new art of camoufage.
Whence will these new camoutieurs
come? Who is to make them proh-
cient. when even the best-trained "old"
military and naval men admit igno-
rance?
Until the airplane came in the cav
airy was the scouting arm of the army.
says writer in New York Times
Now large part of the cavalry OF
the United States army has been dis
mounted and put to machine guns.
The airman is the scout. This was
the chief factor in raising camou-
fiage to its present rank of impor-
tance. mounted scout could scarce
ly be deceived by artificial camouflage.
Now the scout passing Mt heights of
about 1900 feet cannot tell whether
hs. ,,Hn rln Ic
His kodak however. Is not so easy to
fool. 1t will record many things
which escape the eye.
For that reason lights and shades.
depressions and knolls In the terrain,
and shadows have to be carefully stud
led by the military camoufeur. That
makes 1t necessary for him to know
shade and tone value as they register
on the eye of the birdman and on the
camera lens.
Under the instruction of Lieut.. H.
Ledyard Towle of the Seventy-first in
fantry is the New York division Of
military camoufiage. in which the
men belong to the new National army
and wear the uniform and insignia Of
the engineers, and on the sleeve the
letters M. C."-Milltary Camoufleur.
They include landscape gardeners, art
lists, miniature painters, portrait
painters, photographers. woodworkers.
mural decorators. craftsmen. and en-
gineers. II Is probable that these men
will be used to instruct the various
regiments In military camouflage.
Methods of Teaching.
An ohsarvar paad only follow tbaSa
camoufieurs to the 60-acre tract which
the city of Yonkers donated to Lieu
tenant TOwle for camouflage work, or
into their great classroom In New
York city. to get an idea of the chief
methods of teaching the value of de-
pressions, color values lights and
shades, nnd locations. There arc ad-
Unstable wires that tilt the miniature
terrain bonrds to just the desired
slant, so that the soldier can view
them from the angle of n sharpshoot-
er. as If from an airplane. from the
rear or from in front. GauZy curtains
create an Illusion of various lights at
different hours. Thus light blue cur
tains make the twilight just before
dawn. Light rose and blue and vel
low make dawn, MONDAY. and dusk
curtains the evening.
From 1900 feet telephone poles.
camoufiaged, disappear. Dugouts with
path crossing over the roof are like
the side of the hill. Even the gray,
blue and red caisson wagon moving
along the road is blur of color.
Canvases in triangular shape tied to