The Tomahawk., 1918-06-20

means of communication for q week between r.
king and the rest of the world.
But the tasks that confronted our slSnal men
in these were play compared 10 the "oin
that is being done every day on the western lton'
Our signal men there have an area 10 cover "oou'
the size OF Pennsylvania and they have gone at II
with a vigor and efficiency that spell volumes ior
the superiority OF Americans in this particular ne
Of work.
The hardy linen1en who have strung lines anu
repaired breaks on the Western plains or Datt'eu
with great floods and storms in the Rocky noun
tains have taken to this new work with zest
which is inspiring. On the foundation OF the
French system they are building signal system
that will be model of It's kind.
Up to within four miles of the front construc-
ton not different from what it is here at nome.
The wires strung on poles ana most ol ue
poles have been planted by the French But wheh
one gets inside the shelltOrn section that stretches
at least four miles from the front wires have to
be protected by being buried from six to eight rect
Deep so that only direct hit by large shell Will
disturb them.
Within half a mile of the front not even this
protection is sufficient, the shells churn and re-
churn the ground Therefore all wires In this zone
are duplicated and are strung along both sides OF
the trenches Sometimes trench wall Is covered
with wires.
In the battalion headquarters signal office, where
the hundreds of wires from the trenches and OBJ
SorvHtiOn
hum with the constant tremOrs of world under
fire. plain Bill Smith lounges in a corner rolling
cigarette and occupied in his own particular
thoughts. It Is dugout this headquarters, ana
the air is vile but Bill got used to that long ago.
1.-THE wire to A battery is down." Smiths su'
perior officer says. turning to him.
"All right, SIR" Is the answer. And Bill CLIMBS
out Of the dugout, repair Kit over MS arm anu III
hat on his head. 4..
In the trench he finds the wire that Is broken
and begins to follow 1t along. 1t Is hot work IN
the trench, shells dropping thckly but Smith
doesn't mind-much. He follows the wire down
a communication trench and then after long time
ont into the open, where he has to crawl along
looking for the hole that will mark the place where
the tine has been broken. ... -~- H.
He GETS nearly there when a shell lands near
him and Bill Smith, his face toward the break,
goes west After a time, back in the dugout, an
other repairman is sent out and perhaps he Is
luckier than Bill and finds the break
Then he has to sit down in the shell crater, the
smash Of bursting shells close that sometimes
he ia half buried In dirt. calmly making the con-
nection that will enable the observation officer up
front to get in touch with his battery again. II ne
gets back to the dugout he will be sent out again
and vet again If the bOmbardment Is heavy, and
often for days and nights at a time these men are
under fire, snatching a nap now and then in the
dueout between breaks. But they keep the lines
open.
In an attack the signal men go over the top with
the infantry, generally with the second wave, In
charge Of the observing officer. They make for a
point where they can establish an observation
post, and as they pass on and through the enemy's
barrage they unroll their line and one of them car
ries field telephone, through which they somehow
manage in the din Of battle to make themselves
heard.
That telephone is like battle flag and many a
man goes down with it. only to have it picked up
and carried forward by another Of these noncom-
batant troops. Their business Is only to serve. not
to fight and they do It with q cool daring which
is not surpassed in any branch Of the service.
They are In the forefront Of every advance and
In the retreat are sometimes the last to leave the