Pueblo chieftain., 1921-02-01
A WAR MEMORIAL TO ANIMALS
BY FREDERIC i. 1Iaskin.

By Frederic j. Haskin.
New York city. Jan. 29.--Ovcr IN
Europe, thousands OF dollars are belhs
raised for Il national war memorial 10
animals, and already there are many
indications that drive for similar
project will soon be started over mere
The first indication is tho recent re-
turn of Ernest Harold Baynes from
Europe, with the report of the Royal
Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty
to Animals, which clearly and enthu-
siastically shows what horses d1ss'
mules, camels, elephants, oxen, mice,
reindeer, pigeons, canarics, cats ana
goldfish did to help win the war, ana
how many of them lost their lives.
In addition to this report, MT
Raynes. who is slightly connected with
the Museum OF Natural History anu anu
very much connected with the new
York Society for the Prevention OF
Cruelty to Animals, has a report al
of his own, based upon personal IN
vestigation made along the but re-
Gently vacated path OF battle on the
! western front. AS u result OF these
two reports. Mr.. Bayncs has come TO
this conclusion, namely: that while
animals may not have won tho war
the war could not have been won with
out them.
Thus, with all the talk about motor
have scarcely received honorable men
ton yet IT is now asserted that Amer
ican horses accomplished much moro
for an allied victory than did Aneri-
can aeroplanes. Altogether. six mil
lion horses served in the war in ad-
dition to millions of mules. Tho allies
alone put ten million horses into ac-
ton, while Germany used up million
horses in one drive. In fact, 1T now
seems probable that II Germanys
horses had held out, the war might
have been prolonged, for when the
was left in the German lines and
milch cows were being used to draw
German cannon.
A Menakerie OF Heroes
| on the eastern froLt hundreds OF
! elephants lost their lives hauling
heavy munition wagons and cannon.
while no fewer than leo,ol3 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 memo
rial because they are now giving
equally valuable assistance to the Boil
sheviks. Pigeons. however. will g
generously represented. for the pigeons
did heroic work everywhere they were
/ needed. In the battle OF the Somme
alone. IL is estimated that 5000
pigeons were used, only per cent OF
which failed to come thru with their
messages.
The fact that goldfish aided in the
war comes as a distinct surprise 10
most of us. but 1t seems that they did
in quite a subtle and clever way.
When tho allies wanted TO find out
the secrets OF the Germans chemical
gas, they put the gas helmets OF thc
allied soldiers into tank containing
goldfish. The goldfish 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 invent an anti
dote for IL.
But i, these facts do not convert you
to tho idea OF a war memorial to AMI
mails, Mr. Baynes' bravery incidents
would. There is the incident OF Satan.
for instance:
"It was evening in small town
which held a very Important position
in the allies line. near Vcrdun.' ac-
cordinE to MI. Bayncs. The town was
garrisoned by only few hundred
French soldiers, who had received or
ders to hold out at all costs until they
were relieved. The Germans had sue
ceeded in cutting them on from the
rest OF the army. and Just as their
Ammunition ran low. they had placed
a battery to their left. which wa,
pouring deadly fire into the town. II
the garrison could only let the French
army. nj two miles away. kn-w the
position OF that German battery, they
might yet hold the town.
A Dog Hero
The last tele homes had been dc.
stroycd: the last homing pigeon had
been killed by a shell-it looked hope
less.
But in the garrison was dos
trainer named Duval Duval sought
his commanding officer and spoke OF
Satan. Satan was the trainers dos
which he had brought from the dos
school with him.
III ! only had Satan said Duval
could get a message to the main
lines, or IL they would only send Satnn
to us. am sure he COULD make 1t, He
has been over the ground with me
hundreds OF times
"Once more the young man raised his
glasses and searched the space nich
stretched between tho lines.
III they would only send him. hc
repeated. then all at once he started
forward. Mon Dieu.' he cried es.
citedly, he comes. VOLTA! Satan
Satan
The commanding officer and severa
/. others stepped forward, too. but al
hr <1tH