Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-01
A War Memorial
to Animals
nv Frederic J. Haskfn

Now York CITY. Feb. 1.-Over IN Eu-
rono thorsa nds Of dollars are being raised
for a National War Memorial to ANIMALS
and already ther are many lndlc;iuohs
that a drive for similar project VIII soon
be started over here.
The first indication Is the recent return
of Mr.. Ernest Harold Baynes from EUROPE
with the report of the koyai society 10, tue
prevent;on of Cruelty to Animals, which
clearly and enthusiastically shows what
horses. dogs. mules, camels, elephants,
oxen. mice. reindeer, pigeons, canaries,
cats and goldfish did TO help win the war,
ard how many of them lost their lives.
In addition to this report, Mr.. Baynes,
wbois slightly corrected with the Mu-
SCUM of Natural History and very much
connected with the New York Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
has report all of his own, based upon
personal investigation made along the
but recently vacated path OF battle on the
western front. As result of these two
reports, Mr.. Bnyres has come to tins
conclusion; namely, that while ANIMALS
may not have won the war, the war couio
not have been Won without them:
Thus, with all the talk about motor
cars and tanks and aeroplanes, horses
have scarcely received honorable mention,
vet il is now asserted that American
horses accomplished much more for an
Allied victory than did American aero
plares. Altogether, six million horses
served in the war, in addition 70 inlinois
of mules. The Allies alone put ten million
horses into action, while Germany used up
n million horses In one drive. In TACT,
II now seems probable that if Germanys
horses had held out, the war might have
been prolonged, for when the Armistlce
wis signed hardly horse was left IN the
German lines and mich COWS We're being
used 10 draw German cannon.
A MENAGERIB OF HEROES.
On the eastern front hundreds OF
elephants lost their lives hauling heavy
munition wagons and cannon, while no
fewer than I20013 camels died to make
the world safe for democracy; REINDEER
proved of invaluable aid in the Russian
campaign, but they may be left out OF the
European war memorial because they
are now giving equally valuable assistance g
to the Bolsheviks. Pigeons, however, +,
will be generously represented for the
pigeons did heroic work everywhere
they were needed. In the bat tie OF the
Somne alone, it is estimated { hat 5,00U
pigeons were used, only two per cent OF
which failed to come through with their
messages.
The fact that goldfish aided in the war
comes as = distinct surprise TO most OF US,
but Z seems that they did, IN quite
subtle and clever way When the Allies
vanted to find out the secrets OF the
,lermans chemical gas, they put the
gas helmets OF the Allied soldiers into o
tank containing goldfish. The goldtis b
then absorbed into their small bodies the
various chemicals that had been employed
IN the preparation of the German gas
and from the analysis OF Their bodies,
the Allied chemists were able TO tell the
approximate deadly formula the Germans
had used and invented an antldote for 1t.
But If these facts do not convert you
T. the dea of war memorial to animals.
AIr. Baynes bravery incidents would
There is the incident OF Satan, for in-
stance:
IT was evening in q small town which
held very important position IN the Allies
line, near Nerdun," according to MIR.
Baynes. The town was garrsoned by only
few hundred French soldiers, who had
received orders TO hold out st all cost
until they were relieved. The Ger mans
had succeeded IN cutting them OF from
the rest of the army, and Just as their
ammunition ran low, they had placed
battery TO their left, which was pouring
deadly nre into the town. II the garrison
could only let the French Army, now two
miles away, know the position of that
;erman battery, they might yet hold the
town
DOG HERO.
The last telephones had been destroy
ed; the last homlng pigeon had been killed
by a shell-it looked hopeless.
But the garrison was dog trainer
named Duval Duval sought MS command
ing officer, and spoke OF Satan. Satan was
the trainers dog which he had brought
rom the dog school with him.
IF | only had Satan said Duva !,
I could get g message TO the main lines
or if they would only send Satan to us.
! am sure he could make It. He has been
over the ground with me hundreds of
times
Once more. the young man raised his
glasses and searched the space which
stretched between the lines.
If they would only oend him. he
repeated, then all at once he started for
ward. Mon Dieur he cried excitedly,
he comes. Viola Satan, Satan.
THE com manding officer and several
others stepped forward, too, but all they
could see wa black speck moving rapid
ly forward from distance; then, it took
on the form Of dog, large black one,
that seemed to be leaping through the