The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-06-17

oblivious Of war and it's alarms. was
dangling his legs over the water and
peacefully fishing. The battle in the
air. which he must have witnessed,
had not moved him. The certainty that
the Germans were only few miles
away had y not concerned him. he
smoked his pipe and placidly cast his
line. 1t was soothing to overstrained
nerves. to see that chap, but 1t was
only few hours later that / learned a
German spy had been arrested as he
posed as fisherman, with a creel full
Of carrier pigeons" r. -
Another story reads: !. =
I'm the cowl. habit and tonsure that
mark the monk q young man told his
beads aboard the train bound for Ant
werp: And a woman, hardly more
than a girl, kept her eyes fastened or
the man Of prayers. She studied on
the devotion with which his fingers
slipped from decade to decade of the
long, well-worn rosary that hung from
the cincture about his waist. But al
though his lips appeared to move in
humble supplicatton, the woman saw
that he had failed to kiss the cross.
The lapse was significant.
"'Spy!' the girl Kissed into the face
Of the alleged ascetic. In an instant
two guards had seized the man and
rushed him down the train corridor.
The woman examined the small wicker
basket behind in the seat. Lifting the
lid, she found three pigeons. As a
member of the field intelligence staff
Of the French war ministry she knew
that at least three 'homers' would fail
to return with military information to
the lofts Of the German posts"
Get German Pigeons.
A news dispatch briefly summarized
such find thus:
"A German trawler was captured by
a British warship near the Orkney
islands to the north Of Scotland. She
Is believed to haze been engaged in
spying. as carrier pigeons were found
on board"
Reference has already been made to
the number of messages carried back
to the French lines by carrier pigeons
In the defense Of Verdun. A pigeon
captured by the French conveyed this
information:
"The rolling fire Of the enemy with
guns Of the heaviest caliber is such
that sectors S., O., and 81. are to a
great extent leveled. The garrison, in
Guiding that Of sector ", is msorgan-
lied completely. Some Of it has been
obliged to fall back on the Eighty-third
and Ninety -eighth regiments. which
also had to retire.
"Sector Y. (von Raun's) was sub
jected to such fire that it's observation
post was put out Of order. All sorties
are being bombarded and one is occu-
pied constantly in replacing them.
'"The battalion asks it's immediate
relief this evening by fresh troops. 1t
can fight no longer.
"(Signed) .
BRECHT.". r..
Carrier pigeons tell headquarters of
the progress Of a battle. Here is a
typical report when the French army
fought along the Aisne:
1T Immediately appeared that the
destruction of the German defense
had been accomplished with as much
success as could be hoped for In so
difficult country. By 7:30 a. m. we
learned by carrier pigeon and other
means that the Chateau de la Motto Oh
the French left near Allemant had
been carried, and that at the center
Malmaison Fort was taken. At S:45
Allemant village had been occupied,
the prisoners numbered a thousand,
and the French assault troops were ad.
vancing across the central plateau to-
ward Vaudesson and Mont Parnasse
quarry. At 1920 the news was that
they were at the north of Hill 173, the
further spur Of Malmaison plateau
and in a quarry 20 yards west Of the
fort. By 2:45 p. m. the villages Of
Chavignon and Vaudesson, with sew.
eeral neighboring quarries lying on the
northern edge Of the Aisne hills, had
been occupied. Chavignon was the
furthest point contemplated in the
plan and represented an advance Of
one and one-half miles made in the
face Of the best remaining troops Of
the German empire"
Aided by CamoufIaqe.
While many carrier pigeons changed
their habits Of spiraling, finding 1t
dangerous practice and learned to fly
back and then forward at an altitude
comparatively low, camoulage aided
birds considerably in getting back to
their loft carrying with them messages
from troops in front. At Fort Vaux,
in the battle Of Verdun, the crown
princes army had a special group OF
men shooting down carrier pigeons as
they left the fort.
And another story of Verdun. 1t
was at Thiaumont, sixteen times
taken, lost and retaken. Wireless and
telephones had long ceased to exist.
No human being could cross the ter
rain. The commandant was in des'
perate need Of communicating with