The Benson signal., 1918-09-07
lII5rIt Il. Il; i 81
!. SIGNAL CORPS MEN
I
REMAaNABLg DEVICES BY USE
Of VINCE GERMAN MES
sAGES ARE CAPTURED.
WIRES FAR AWAY TAF3ED
Student Army Training Corps PIans
Changed to Conform to Lowered
Draft Ages-SoIdiers Want Lemon
Drops and Soluble Coffee.

RICi9S EiJO QOIGbtG <OHEOs
The Isteuing-in service Of the signal
corps Of tie army is one of its inter
esting activities. Information of the
enemy anA his movements is always of
use. atd sometimes OF great impor-
lance.
The signal corps operates numerous
Iistenilg-in stations close to or within
the rneny's lines. at which, by means
Of dnvicos recently perfected, it is able
moi only 70 intercept any radio mes
sage inIt also to determine accurately
the location Of the radio instrument
which transmits it, This Information
rs 10 location is transmitted to the
artillery, which proceeds to- put the
radio station out OF business
German telephone wires have been
made to tlivplge their secrets, though
such wires are well within German ter
IitorY where it is Impossible to tap
their Tires. This is accomplished by
orc Of the most ingenious instruments
that has beer produced. BY means of
1t GTl signal corps man can sit in his
dugpft on flie front line with q re-
Gcfver 10 his ear and hear any tele-
phone message well within the enemy
trrrtorg.. even though several thou
Sand fIHns may intervene between him.
ann life EfHarest point to the telephone
wires being used by the enemy.
The signal service OF the army came
fliio existence with development Of the
telegraph during the Civil war, and
was cxpaGded greatly in the Spanish
organization, mobile as cavalry. and
flset largely to serve the needs of the
cavalry 1t developed practically a
perfect system for open warfare.
4 new system had to be originated
for trench warr;re and experts began
the study Of this problem and the use
OF telephone and telegraph lines and
the radio rs soon as the present war
started. Signal corps men were among
the first units sent to France after
the United States entered the war.
The French system Of signaling has
pEtii dQt'ibCtt III pa DNl Nttli i1lttAiC
purely American innovations. The
whole fighting area within ten miles of
flie- front lines is a mass of lines of
Information There is the wire net, or
telegraph and telephone; the radio;
the visual, or searchlight and fire
works, and the messengers, runners
and motnrcyclists.
Plans for the student army training
corps have been changed by the war
department t. conform to the lowered
draft ages The war department will
utilize TIE l,Tant, equipment and organ
tation Of the colleges to maintain q
reservoir of officer material for train
fng as officers and technical experts
from which it Will be possible to meet
the enlarged needs of the various
branches Of the service.
The length Of time during which
fnen~will be trained in the colleges will
depend on the needs Of the service. AS
fast as one group of trained men is
drawn from the colleges into the serv-
fee their places will be taken by a
new quota obtained by voluntary in
duction or through the draft In this
way the educational facilities of the
country will be used to maintain a
constant supply of men who are
trained to meet the needs Of the army.
Under the regulations selected young
men who are physically fit for mill
-l,n fol Y.c
Of age or over, and who have had q
grammar school education may be in
Quoted rs volunteers into the army and
enter upon a course of special train
Ing. Those who have had only gram
mar school education will enter Ordi-
narily special training detachments to
be trained along mechanical lines Of
military training Those who prove
in the course of their mechanical train
ING that they are officer material may
be transferred to unit in one Of the
colleges TO be. prepared ta enter q cen
ira! officers framing camp.
Young men who have had a high
school education will be allowed to en-
Ter the college for more advanced
training as officers and as technical
experts Of various kinds, according to
their experience and abilities. Those
who show promise under this training
will be kept in college until qualified
TO enter an officer training camp or be
ccnt directly into the service as tech
meal experts; those who do not show
promise under the training will be