Evening star., 1918-06-30
Special Correspondence of The Star.
AMERICAN ZONE, S. o. s.,

mn a H. if dogs only had wings!"
w M remarked high Signal
~ Corps personality. And he
x explained himself 'In-
stead of gas masksr'
The war dog is down and out.
He has been faithful, heroic, bril-
liant.
Yet the American forces in France
are providing no army kennels
1t was decided after many consulta-
tions with the French, who still MAIN
Atain, in a dwindling yet grandiose
way. the picturesque and beautiful
Kennels which they attached in 1915,
1916 and 1917 to each French army
and with the British, who, struggling
stubbornly against existing conditions
In their cult for animals, appeal to
dogs"
The high personality of our Signal
Corps already referred to has just
released the decision.
X X
Long ago. he said. 1--WE went into
the question of war dogs. particularly
pr carrying messages, and we advised
Fvery thoroughly with French army
sexperts. Their conclusions were the
same as our own. On the whole. they
advised against any attempt to estab-
lish American Army kennels. About
the same time orders came from G. II.
@. to drop the matter. You see, all
coincided. The situation is patent.
For one thing, it really requires
man to a dog. And there are other
conditions"
For example. he was enthusiastic
f about carrier pigeons. for whose
breeding the Signal Corps has estab-
lished vast lofts in various parts OF
France. Their center is a big town
or homes for young birds (who
adapt themselves readily go straight
into the tempest. Yea, swift birds
| which eterenally flew have beaten
the faithful dog to it-because he has
dog with wings could skim out
Of gas!
A dog with a gas mask has always
the temptation to sit down. in the
thickest poison layer. and paw OF the
protection. which bothers him fifty
times worse than a muzzle.
The friend Of man knocked out by
gas!
Gas is chief Of those "other condi-
TONS" -
So succumbed Pyramus. No. IS A,
veritabIe canine enigma. the scout dog
OF the Vosges who. in an emergency.
turned liaison dog all on his own motion
and saved an entire battalion. Pyramus
(against all "ace" dog ethics) actual
ly quit his wounded master on the lat
ter's command and. romping towand
the unknown rear Gin a straight line)
\ in the black night, bumped into re-
ofsrcements who read the appeal in
ms collar pocket and hurried up to
relieve the badly-surrounded battalion
after binding up four ugly scrap
and shrapnel gashes in his devoted
hide.
With two years record for almost
human brans, Pyramus. carrying a
vital range correction message through
barrage. stopped TRANQUILITY in some
crater shelter and paved at his mask
until he had four good-sized breath
ing holes" then trotted on, through
fire and crashes. He delivered the
goods. and lay down sick. Soon
Pyramus was coughing piteously.
Later he passed away
Yet Pyramus had been to Paris to
receive the collar of the wise and
brave. and there he heard himself
proclaimed a grand Intelligence as
crowds acclaimed him to the blare Of
trumpets. It was at a famous func-
tion of the S. P. C. A., when his name
Vas written in the golden book of
fighting French shepherd dogs.
So perished by gas Hector. Titine,
Crac. Ajax, Louve and half the COM
pany of the golden book who escaped
shells and sniping. There have been
days behind the French front when.
to rolling drums, the poilus. in re-
view formation, heard the records and
mourned the passing Of fabulous
creatures like Toilette, Sara, Caesar
and Mange-Tout.
Hector. No. % B. scout dog: "At
the farm of Bois-Brules. where the
enemy lay hidden, no patrol dared
venture. A dog and a man started
for IT by night. Hector went twenty
wards in front of the poilu. Approach
Ing the farm he gave no sign Of worry
and continued. The place had been
suddenly abandoned. French teleg-
raphers hastily took charge. Two
telephone calls. at dawn, and an I'M
portant enemy redeubt was pulver-
tzed." Y
, Titine, No. II B. dog sentinel: "Tn
the Vosges a battalion Of the -th
Army had been loaned. as sentinel.
one Of our particularly intelligent
dogs. In her first week Titine saved
two sentinels by her warnings, and
in q month eleven. in each case from
actual attack, which was escaped She
lost no sentinel in q region where the
battalion. previously without dogs.