The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1919-07-22
CONTROL $4,000 !.
MILES0F PHONES
United States Army Perfeets Fine
Telephone System in 0c-
Ar cupied Territory. q
HANDLE $1,000 CALLS DAILY
Enables Commanding General to Keep
Hand on Pulse Of Army-Opera-
tors Speak English, French
and German.

Coblenz-At the time the Ameri-
cans began Withdrawing from Ger
MANY the United States army had per-
fected one of the finest telephone sys-
TENS in Europe. From the headquar-
tiers of the third army in COblenz fifty
long-distance lines had been set up
and ii is possible for the command
ing general to sit in his office and
talk with American officers in London,
Berlin, Vienna, Rotterdam, Brussels.
Antwerp, Paris and various other
European points.
The army of occupation has tele-
phone system closely resembling the
best commercial system in the United
States. On the top floor of the head
quarters building in COblenZ Il nine
position switchboard was installed
soon after the Americans reached the
Rhine. Scattered throughout COblenz
are twenty private branch exchanges
of the various units of headquarters.
Connected to this system are more
than four hundred Subscribers" in
addition to the fifty long-distance
lines. ~~s--,---'-sss~~a7s's 80
Trss'''---> 10000 Miles Of Wire.
Within the German occupied area
there has been established by the sig
nal corps under the direction of Col.
Parker Hit, chief signal officer, net
work of wires connecting the various
units of the third army. Direct lines
connect with all the corps and divi-
sions, approximately 1900 miles of
wire being in service.
This extensive plant has not, how
ever. been built by the third army, but
consists almost altogether of the Ger
man lines taken over by the signal
corps and so arranged as to meet the
needs of the army. Sufficient circuits
were left, however, for the civilian
population to carry on their business.
More than 1900 calls are register
ed daily on the Coblenz switchboard.
With the establishment Of 40 ex,
Change in Coblenz It was necessary
to employ Operators who could speak
English, French and German. The fif-
teen operators on duty in Coblenz are
all members Of the women's telephone
corps and have been in the service
more than a year. The chief opera
tor, Miss Helen Cook, was a former
employee Of the American Telephone
and Telegraph company of New York,
Previous to Joining the American ex'
peditionary force, Miss Cook spent six
years as instructor for the Bell sys
fem in offices in Chicago, Minneapolis
Omaha, Cleveland, Detroit and Mem
phis.
"poodIebus" Code Name.
The word "Doodlebug" is the code
name of the third army switchboard
in Coblenz, the corps and divisions al
so retaining the code names that wer'
assigned them during the war. On tn
back of a twenty-page telephone oil
rectory issued by the third army tn
artists conception Of a "doodlebug
has been reproduced in the shape OF
bug made up of combination o
sabres, rifles and an aerial bomb.
All the apparatus. including switch
boards, telephone instruments, and,
fact, everything excepting the wire
is of American manufacture and
to be taken out when the American
in force say good-by to the Rhine an
start for France and home.