The Colorado statesman., 1918-09-21
BALLOON IN WAR
DOES GREAT WORK
"ELEPHANTs" USED FOR oBsER.
vATlON AND TO DIRECT
FIRE OF BATTERIES.
PILOTS PARACHUTE JUMPERS
Thousand Community Labor Boards
Have Been Organlzed-Gun Produe-
ton for Army Grows RaPidly-iron
Rations Ordered.

ton for Army Grows Rapidiy-lron
Rations Ordered.
tFrom Committee on Public Information
Wnshington.-Up to few years ago.
In the public mind, all balloons were
associated with parachute Jumpers.
county fairs and circuses. They were
used very much like their rival the old
side show, full of freaks, solely to
draw crowd. Today Uncle Sam is
making balloons and training their op-
orators for distinctly another purpose.
The ungainly old balloon of circus days
is now rival of its smarter and more
modern brother. the airplane, in the job
of being eyes for the army and navy.
A dead industry was revived when the
war balloon was originated.
Swinging far aloft ut the end OF
cable these elephants" as they are
now called. support trained observers
who, by means of powerful field glasses
and telephones, give range and direc-
ton to batteries. These in turn, with
well directed shots, put enemy batter
les out of business and break up infan-
try forming for attack. stationary
balloon four or five thousand feet in
the air is an ideal place for an OBJ
server.
So Uncle Sans parachute jumpers
are being instructed today, not as
entertainers TO draw and thrill crowds
by "leaps from the Clouds" but for
their own personal safety and
the safety of their records made
at high elevations, when n shell
or an enemy airplane rips their
balloon and they have to jump. For
although their balloon may be destroy
ed the men in the basket usually come
safely to earth and bring their maps
and photographs with them. 1t Is life
full of excitement these men of the bal
loon lead, and to be a member one has
to have plenty of nerve, courage ana
daring in his makeup.
Aviators take off their hats to the
balloon men. One recently returned
American air pilot told of an adventure
he had on n trial trip in balloon;
how interested he was becoming in the
work of the observer as the latter eN-
planned the great panorama outstretch-
ed below him; when suddenly the bal
loon man interrupted his talk to see
that his parachute straps were o. H.,
climbed to the edge of the. basket,
shouted: BEAT it; follow me-" and
disappeared over the side. The avi-
ator said he took one look at the wind
lass pulling the balloon TO earth below,
another at the oncoming enemy plane
L.. OF fnr n
He said he did not have the courage
to jump and did not. Fortunately the
enemy plane was beaten off by allied
planes before it could get any nearer.
Provost Marshal General Crowder
was requested by the British embassy
to give notice to the fact that British
subjects, including declarants, who had
registered before July 80, 1918. may
enlist voluntarily in the British or Ca
madam army up to and including Sep
tember %, 1918. Those who registered
on August "a, 1918, may so enlist up
to and including September %. 1918.
Those who register on September II,
1918, may so enlist up to and includ-
ing October 10, 1918.
During the period so allowed for vol
untary enlistment, British subjects may
apply for exemption to the British am
bassador.
At the end of the period allowed for
voluntary enlistment, British subjects,
in each of these classes, may no longer
enlist in the British or Canadian army;
but unless exempted by the British
ambassador, they become liable to mil
itary service and may claim exemption
under the United States Selective Serv-
ice law.
Experiments in laundering shoes are
being conducted at various camps by
the conservation reclamation division
of the quartermaster corps. The meth
cd used is the same employed by the
American eXpeditionary forces.
A solution composed of one quart of
strong disinfectant to 80 gallons, of wa
ter was used to wash about 200 army
n H.