Evening star., 1919-04-20

- annals is being arranged by
a the Signal Corps of the
Army for some two hundred or more
8f the famous homer pigeons that
played so gallant a part in the last
half Of 1913. and were factors of
acknowledged importance in the great
battles which preceded the signing Of
the armistice. These birds are now
on the sea under the care of their own
officers. and they may be confidently
expected in about a fortnight They
are the first overseas birds to come
home.
In their number will be that immor-
tai bird which brought the news Of the
Lost Battalion" and saved Whittlesey
and his comrades from death or cap
tufe by the Huns. The $50 homers
that were as much responsible for the
glory Of the st. Mihiel salient as the
commanders and the intrepid men will
be represented in all that was saved
of that gallant company, and the birds
that performed such marvellous service
at chateau-T -Thierry and in the Argonne
will be in that parade and will be es-
corted with all the honors of war to
their peaceful home in Potomac Park.
There they will be placed on exhibition,
and when they are rested and accus-
toned 10 their new environment exhibi-
tion flights will be made. Their lofts
will bear all their names and full de-
scription of service and their honorable
achievements from the hour the gov
ernment placed it's tag and accepted
them as allies.
" k
Washington hopes to have these
heroes safely housed very soon. but
the birds will have to pass through
Now York. and the officers of the
pigeon section stationed at the military
Headquarters at the capital venture
the prophecy that they will never get
through that city without demon
stration and without a struggle in be-
half Of a brief exhibition. The man
to whom the Signal Corps Is most
heavily indebted and who is in COM
mand of the pigeon section is a New
York lawyer, a renowned fancier who
had won fame in every fight for the
past ten years. This is Maj. Frank j,
Griffin. who not only put all his own
birds at the disposal of the govern
ment when their need was imperative
ly felt but went about the country
on his own initiative and at his own
expense. asking other fanciers to fol-
low his example.
Another fancier Of Long Island Is
Maj. Griffin's aid. Capt. Charles Reyes.
a blue ribboner. and he would not
refuse New Workers a chance to look
upon their heroes. Indeed. both Maj.
Grimm and Capt. Reyes would like
to see this gallant fiock exhibited all
over the country, especially in the
sections where pigeon fanciers are
numerous and where gifts were made
to the government at the first mo-
ment Gen. Pershing asked for full
blooded we'll trained homers This
would make a triumphal parade from
the northernmost point OF New Eng
land all through the country to the
Pacific coast At the termination or
their tour they would be located per-
manently in the lofts at Potomac
Park and would add another attrac-
ton to the many which the Capital
owes directly to the war
The United states is the last OF the
great nations to add homing pigeons
to the equipment of its Army ana
Navy. The aviation section OF the
Navy was the first to follow the ex-
ample which Great Britain, France
and Belgium set in 1905. and Russia
in 1898. when pigeons were incor-
porated into the naval and military
service. but they were compelled to
borrow homers from England and
France pending the training of their
own. King George and his sons are
skilled fanciers and they sent some
OF their birds as did other experts in
England. and these were the nucleus
of the hero group which performed
such marvels from the north OF Ire
land to the extreme south OF Italy IN
the coastal and training stations or
the naval birdmen. The doves of the
Navy have received all the honors OF
war. and the tales of their exploits
are part of the aviation annals. There
ARE the doves Of Pauillac, naval train
Ing and experimental station for air.
men. that are already figuring In story
and in verse so proudly that the peace
fui doves of St Marks are completely
eclipsed.
There were seventy-eight birds at
Pauillac. and in one month they safe
Iy delivered 6sS messages, of which