The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-02-07
TRADESMEN NEEDED
IN SIGNAL CORPS
WILL BE ACCEPTED, ALTHOUGH
REGISTERED, If QUALIFIED
ALONG CERTAIN LINES.
BOOKS FOR OUR FIGHTERS

More Than Half a Million Already
Furnished Soldiers and Sailors by
American Library Association
What the Hat Cord Denotes.
Vrom Committee on Public Informathon.)
Washington.-Men qualified along
certain lines, although registered I'M
der the selective-service law, may be
indicted into the land division of the
Signal Corps, which is in need of men
for the following duties:
Chauffeurs, motorcycle drivers, and
gas engine repairmen for duty in field
and telegraph battalions; telegraph
ers, both wire and radio; telephone
men, including switchboard operators,
telephone repairmen, and men skilled
in testing and repairing telephone
lines; telephone and telegraph line
men; photographers still and moving;
homing-pigeon men radio men who
are familiar with installing radio APP
paratus; men qualified as cooks,
clerks, stenographers, blacksmiths,
meteorologists, cobblers, cable men,
etc. .....
Men indicted for this division, I'M
less otherwise requested by the chief
signal officer Of the army, are sent to
Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
More than half million books al
ready have been furnished soldiers and
sailors in training camps and in France
by the American Library Association
War Service, and the flow Is steadily
Increasing, according to the director
If this work.
A campaign for funds inaugurated
~ the association last autumn netted
more than S1,500,000 and real results
n the tangible shape of books and
comfortable libraries are being felt by
he soldiers and sailors. The Carne-
gle corporation gave $4,000 for the
erection of camp libraries. Nearly
Ill camps now have libraries and in
he others the buildings are In course
" construction. The reading rooms
Zach accommodate $50 men.
For the men In France the associa-
don has organized distributing sta
ions at all points of embarkation,
where books are assorted for shipment
broad. Soon every soldier who steps
IN transport will carry book with
lin, which he and his companions will
cad on the way across, after which It
Will be forwarded to the men back OF
he trenches. No attempt will be made
o establish libraries in France, but
he association will have representa-
ives there 20 supervise the work of
distribution.
Just as the sleeve chevrons and
vars, stars and eagles on the Shout
Ter proclaims ranking officers, the hat
ord denotes the branch of service
'ach private has entered.
Light blue signifies infantry; scar
ct, artillery; yellow, cavalry; buff.
luartermasters corps; scarlet and
White, engineers corps; orange and
White, signal corps; scarlet and black,
/ ,rdnance black and white, field clerk :
maroon, medical corps; black and gold,
pficers: silver and black, adjutant
eneral's clerk; green, instructor home
yards; green and white, home guards.
these cords are worn only on serv-
ce hats.
Cadet aviators wear as hat bands
nch and half white ribbons and on
oat collars insignia representing the
Walton branch Of the Signal corps,
PROPELLER blades.
There were 1,42S,650 enlisted men
nd 110,S65 officers in the United
;tates army at the opening Of 1918,
nore than one and half times as
arge as any force ever before mo-
'ilized by this nation. according to
, statement by Secretary of War
,aker.
During the war with Spain the army
4 the United States at its maximum
trength aggregated 272,00O men and
Ulcers. The army in the field aud In
raining now is practically six times
IS great as the maximum number I'M
Ter arms in the SpaniSh-Amerlcan war.
About $4,000 officers were commits
loned from civil life in the two series
II training camps, nearly eight times
IS many as the number Of officers In
he regular army April l, 1917.
Postmasters are directed not to &C
,ept for shipment TO members OF ex-
)editionary forces packages contain
ing matches. cigar lighters. or solicited
ilcohOl, including the preparation call
ID "Sterno" or canned heat.
II is not deemed safe to admit these
articles to mails for foreign countries
VI for United States naval vessels, In
Guiding marines on shore In other coun-
tries.
Contractors working on orders for
the navy are required TO provide
watchmen and devices TO protect their
plants and property and the work in
progress against espionage, acts of
war and Of enemy aliens. Upon re-
Quest they must report the citizenship,
country OF birth, or alien status Of all