The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-02

equipped laboratory. but under tbs
primitive conditions at the front =
with all h water carried in buckets
from a neighboring well. 1t is another
zone OF tho many examples indicating
That the American Expeditionary
forces made good chiefly on the IN
herent ability of the American SOL
dier.
The only laboratory facilities a
PhCtogral mic &C ction was ever reason
ably sure of was their Photographic
truck and trailer, which latter con-
tanned a tiny darkroom and drafting
room. The darkroom served admir-
ably for plate development. and some
times for making proofs; but some
thing had to be found. stolen or ina
gined to serve as a printing labora-
tory, and a cow-shed oil a dug-out
might be called into service for this
purpose.
In July, during the Chateau-Thierry
offensive, a Photographic section had
to resort to a tent for a work-room.
Inside of ore end of the tent a wooden
frame was set up and this covered
with tar paper and Opaque curtains to
make 1t light-tight. / was also just
about as air-tight. but men worked
steadily in shifts In this hot-box for
six consecutive days and nights-and
came out alive. The three prints re-
ferred to by the young lieutenant of
FAUX came out of this laboratory"
and so did all the other American
photographs that were used In the
Chateau-Thierry operations.
The secrecy involved in the prepa-
rations of the Argonne offensive made
new and unexpected demands on our
Photographic service.
Late one afternoon General Nit
chell called for another Photographic
section. Within an hours time the
nucleus OF a section was organized
and equipped from sue casual re-
placement personnel as was available
in the vicinity of the first air depot.
These men were all just fresh from
the training schools. and without
any previous experience in the field.
They travelled all night and got in
stalled in an clubhouse of a brewery
at Ligney-en-Barrois by daybreak.
where they promptly set up shop and
commenced work like oldtimers.
At 10 O'Clock Of the same morning
on reporting the arrival of the sec
ton to the general, n being Dues
toned as to how long it would be be-
fore this section would be in shape
to produce. l was able to report that
1000 prints had already been de-
livered. These boys kept at ii for
five days and nights without more
han four hours sleep out OF any
twenty~four. and produced over So
900 prints. They needed no urging or
encouragement other than being told
that the prints were wanted for their
"buddies'' who were about to go over
the top on the biggest job yet.
Whereas, photography over the
lines was currently entrusted to obser-
vers, the best photographs from a
technical standpoint. were made by
such Photographic officers as were
occasionally detailed to do the work.
Captain A. w, Stevens. while ON
handing officer, Photographic section
6, volunteered to do several particu-
larly difficult missions while in the
region OF Fismes. He mounted his
camera on the machine gun tourelle
and made the pictures from an alti-
tude of but a few hundred meters.
Numerous dangerous and troublesome
! machine gun nests were located on
these pictures, which Gl previous
photographs had failed to show.
His work. as wei! as the photo
graphs taken by several Of the other
nonconlhatant Photographic officers,
present a conclusive argument that in
all cases where special Photographic
requirements or conditions have to be
met, the trained and experienced
photographer is a better man for
the work than the regular aerial
observer.
At the time of the arnistice, the
personnel of the Photographic sec
ton, Air service. in the A. E. r.
numbered SIS officers and LII sol
diers. The efforts OF these men In.
dividually. as'units and as the Photo
graphic section OF the Air service,
have been a definite factor In fight
ing n winning of the war, The total
production of photographs since
July l. 1918 was l. 100000 prints.
While the laboratory Photographic
work is arduous and makes big de.
mands on the endurance and health
of men. 1t can scarcely be called
hazardous. ever though sections FREE
quently continued turning out prints
in their laboratory during the nights
the enemy bombed the vicinity and oc.
~casionally the work was pursued In
spite OF long-range shell fire.
Much of the equipment furnished
was primitive. and the material.
available became progressively worse
The influence OF this factor OF quail
ity of materials can be measured by
the fact that, when a few patches OF
the new nanchromatic plate arrived
from England. the quality OF ouI
photography was raised by at least
so per cent. and this quality wa.
further improved upon In the work
done when American plates and paper
finally arrived.
The future OF aerial photography
Is naturally bound up with the future
OF the Air service. and as a function
Of the Air service is full OF possibili.
ties as a peace-time development
Not only will aerial photography rem
der great assistance In mapping the
United States. but 1t brings to the
process OF mapping. and by the simp'
lest of means, a wealth OF detailed
information that would ordinarily be
excluded and perhaps even impossible
Numerous government agencies In.
terested in mapping will participate
a~bundantly in the advantages Of aeria'
photography mapping. II the work is
properly undertaken and on a sum.
GENTLY large scale.
The nature, quality and quantity
OF the timber in our forests can be
accurately measured by making aeriaI
photographs of these forests in the
autumn. Each kind Of tree assumes
a characteristic color at this time
OF the year. and by the use Of appro.
pirate selective color screens and
panchromatic plates. these color tones
can be separated. and subsequently