The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-10-09
YANKEE TROOPS
 QUICK TO.LEARN
 CAMOUFLAGE ART
Make Believe Forest Houses Large Detachment of Ar
 my Observers Near  & the Front.

Behind American Lines in France, Oct 9.-(Correspondence of The As- sociated Press "A make-believe for est stands along the edge of the road at the entrance to the American cam ouflage station here. It looks as natural as the real woods along the lighting front, with the shiny silver bark of the beeches, the rough. lag ged trunks of the old apple trees and the sprouting tops of the dwarf will lows.
 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 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 camouflage station is send ing forth to the fighting army.
 Camouflage is one of the distinctly 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 French po- lice to indicate any disguise used to capture criminals, For example, a detective camouflages himself by dressing as a coachman.
 Early in the war the famous DOT trait painter, Giron de Sivela, con- ceived the idea of disguising batteries 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 ithat time the words grew and with ii grew into a tremendous magnitude this art of misleading the enemy
 The American army has been quick to make a full use of the strange new weapon of warfare and the camou- flage plant is one of the most com pIete in existence with a working force of nearly one thousand and 8 staff including many of the we'll known mural artists and decorators and scuIptors of America, all of then engaged in producing these curious devices by which military art deceives the enemy.
 One of the officers, Captain Homer Saint Gaudens is a son of the Ameri- can sculptor Saint Gaudens. Anoth CT, Major Tracy, is a prominent ar chitect who did much of the work or the Lincoln Memorial. Lieutenan Barry Faulkner, is an American mu ral artist and Lieutenant Sherry Frey an American sculptor in Paris. Ser geant Leslie Thrasher and F. Ear Christy and Corporal Duer are well known American illustrators; Wal Lee Is cartoonist and Sergeant Mur phy is an American mural decorator whose work is well-known in England
 But there must be something nor than stage properties in the produc tions of these artists, they must b practical and suited to the uses 0 warfare, and it is the part of COlone Bennion, head of the Camouflage sta ton to keep these artistic production within practical limits. The Colo mel is an engineer officer with Yves Point training school, and when an camouflage is adopted for America army uses, it has the double merit 0 being the product of American artis tic skill and at the same time an emi nently practical device from tn standpoint of militray engineering.