The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-01

Europe, thousenos o. dotlefe arc
baing raised for . National War
Memorial to Animals. and already
there are many indications that q
drive for . similar project will
soon be started over here
The hrst Indication IL the re-
cent return Of Ernest Harold
haynes from Europe. with the re-
port Of the Royal Society for the
Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals.
which clearly and> enthusiastically
shows what horses, dogs, mules.
camels, elephants, oxen. mice,
reindeer. pigeons. canaFies, cats
and goldfish did to help win the
war, and how many Of them lost
their lives.
In addition to this report, Mr..
Baynes. Who 10 slightly connected
with the Museum Of Naturally His
tory and very much connected with
the New York Society for the Pre-
vention Of Cruelty to Animals. has
a report all of his own. based up
on a personal investigation made
along the but recently vacated path
of battle on the western front. As
a result Of these two reports. Mr..
Baynes has come To this conclu-
sion: namely, that while animals
may not have won tbs war. the war
could not have been won without
them.
Thus, with all the talk about mo-
tor cars and tanks and aeroplanes,
horses have scarcely received hon
orable mention, yet 1t IL now as
serted that American horses ac-
complished much more for an Al
lied victory than did American
aeroplanes. Altogether. six mil
lion horses served in the war, in
addition to millions of mules. The
Allies alone put ten million horses
into action. while Germany used
up a million horses in one drive.
In fact, it now seems probable that
if Germany's horses had held out.
the war might have been prolong-
ed, for when the armistice was
signed hardly horse was left in
the German lines and mich cows
were being used to draw German
cannon.
A Menagerie Of Heroes.
On the eastern front hundreds
of elephants lost their lives haul
ing heavy munition wagons and
cannon, while no fewer than l20.013
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 be-
cause they are now giving equally
valuable assistance to the bolshev-
iks. Pigeons, however, will be gem
erously represented, for the pige-
ons did heroic work everywhere
they were needed. In the battle
of the Semme alone. It is estimated
that 5000 pigeons were used. only
two percent of which failed to
come through with their messages.
The fact that goldfish aided in
the war comes as distinct sur
prise to most of US. but it seems
that they did, in quite subtle and
clever way. When the Allies want
ed to find out the secrets OF the
Germans chemical gas, they put
the gas helmets of the Allied SOL
diers into a tank containing gold
fish. The goldfish then ABSORBED
into their small bodies tine various
chemicals tina. had been employ
ed in the preparation Of the Ger
man 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 antidote for it.
But if these facts do not convert
you to the idea of a war memorial
to animals, Mr.. Baynes' bravery
incidents would. There is the Incl
dent of satan, for instance:
1T was evening in a small
town which held a very important
position in the allies line. near
Verdun." according to Mr.. Baynes.
1.-The town was garrisoned by only