Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-01-02
COMMUNICATION.
IMPORTANT IN
WORK OF ARMY
Was One of First Problems
to be Worked Out by the ,
Americans in France.
Headnuarfers.

Headquarters, American Expedi-
tionary Force, France, Nov. 28.-
Of The Associated
Press. jim an army the size Of this,
throughout the length and
breadth of France from the seacoast
communication is second only if not
of equal importance to that of sup
plies.
When the American forces came to
France it was one of the first efforts
to which American ingenuity and in
vention was directed and the Signal
Corps, under which communications
falls, met it as have the other or
CARNATIONS Of the American Expedi-
tionary Force. Existing French tele-
graph and telephone systems were
overwhelmed. There was little left
for us and Brigadier General E. Rus
sell, chief signal officer, and his staff
of experts tackled the job.
What they have done in construc-
ton Is shown in some statistics fur
nished to The Associated Press. The
Signal Corps has built approximately
1850 miles Of poles on which it has
strung Ais miles Of wire. In addi-
ton iabout 1000 miles of American
wire has been strung or existing sys-
TENS for our use and it has leased and
operates more than 5000 miles of
French wire. Exchange lines to the
extent. of 1880 miles have been built
and to operate these lines it has 244
telephone Offices. 1895 telephone sta
tons and 102 telegraph Offices.
: All through France, from the base
ports to the front lines occupied by
the American forces. throughout our
training areas, in fact nearly every
where, the shining copper wires on
American cross bar poles, so different
from the European system, are a new
feature Of the landscape and fire.
quently one heard newly arrived
American soldiers exclaim That's
American" On main line systems
with many wires. the French Gus
tomarily use two poles side by side
and the wires are strung On cross bars
between, and others on single insula-
tors fastened direct to the pole.
The long distance telegraph and
telephone system constructed by the
it's own personnel and in addition
some 5000 miles of leased wires are
maintained by it.
All this construction has been made
by Signal Corps battalions with i'm
plements and material from the Unit
ed States with the single. exception O.
| poles, most of which We're obtained il
France. In construction, main
tenance and operation the STANDARD
practices of the United States nav
been followed and the American Elk
peditionary Force has been giver
service equal to the best obtainable il
the commercial world and admitted!
u~nrivalled in any army. Its men hav'
followed troops wherever troops went
down front line trenches, over shell
swept and machine gun raked area
to lay and keep their wires so tina
communications might be maintained
The Signal Corps has a long list o
brave dead and brave wounded, NOR
honored perhaps, because they coult
not fight back.
The telephone service Of the corp
was opened on June "a, 1917, ant
since then there have been handled
nearly nineteen million local calls AM
more than one million long distance
calls.
Since the Signal Corps telegraph
system began to function on Angus
10 of last year more than five AM
one-half million messages have beel
handled, aggregating more. than one
third of a billion words.
Manning these wires are many for
mer members Of the Traffic Depart
ment of The Associated Press, gradu
ates of the key and the fastest wire
in the world. Among them ar
Sergeant J. L. Belden, formerly o
Dallas, Tex, who has charge of tn
base signal Office at Bordeaux. Among
, the fifty men under his direction ar
Percy hall, formerly at st. Louis ant
W. E. Ryan Of Burlington, Ia.
Sergeant Ben Yon, formerly in tn
New York office of The Associated
Press, is in charge of the base sigma
office at Tours and several Associated
Press stars also are attached to tina
Office. Corporal A. B. Phares of For
Worth, Tex, is stationed at Bar-le
due. Other former Associated Pres
men scattered along the lines Of com
m%unication include H. A. Goethe, o
Duluth; w. C. Doody, Of Indianapolis
F. r. Kazmarek, Of Houston; O. A
Rosenauer. Of Detroit: E. E. Truxton
Of Michigan and Montana; E. J.. Nor
ris and Ben Hall of Philadelphia
Frank P. Johnson and ]. e. johnson
Of Kansas City; H. e. Fisher, o
Champaign, ILL.,; and G. c. Madison
of Kansas City,.
When the corps of newspaper cor
respondents vas moved up to tn
i front lines with the beginning Of tn
American action in the Argone. Ger
tain wires were turned over for thei
use and one day there walked in Cor
4poral J. p. Wilson, who was long sta
toned at Salt Lake City and othe
western division stations Of The Asso
ciated Press. He brought his sid,
sender, or bug in, operator
p~arlance, quietly cut it in on a tabl,
in the French telegraph ONCE. an,
began business. The second night
when the French operators hat
watched copy melt m Phillips code +
a receiver Of equal training they ex
claimed:
"He Is the ace Of operators"
JAPS LAUNCH MANY SHIPS.
wA,,,o Nyn,, 90 rhn %cto, <oru.~