The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-03-11
PIGEON TRAINING is
NOW COMING TO FRONT
Army Fosters Development
of High-CIass Birds.

San Misunderstanding Of carrier
pigeons. which until recently in the
West was almost exclusively an army
peace-time pursuit to quicken the com
bat forces most dependable means Of
communication on shellrocked battle
fields, has claimed position OF popu-
larity as a civilian sport along the
Pacific coast.
Fostered and encouraged by army
and reserve circles, pigeon flying has
grown in favor until the number of
clubs existing and the membership en-
gagged in this pastime presage rivalry
with Atlantic seabOard enthusiasts for
supremacy.
An affection for the delicately bred
birds, gained in war time by their eff
fectiveness as a means of lIaison, has
been turned into an appreciation Of
their sporting possibilities. The fly
ing courses that have been mapped
and used in pigeon racing along the
fringed borders Of the Pacific offer
because of varying climatic conditions.
as difficult tests for bird stamina and
training efficacy as can be found.
Pass All Barriers
In competitions from Salem. Ore, to
Oakland, Cal. the tiny racers pass
through the chilled air stratas above
snow-capped mountains; through fogs
and mists; through both rare and
heavy atmosphere and, at the finish.
through the hot, usually dry air above
fha Co,, Toon,4s,, x-aJTa,- ~ fsaIsforofo
Under these severe conditions the
birds cannot make the time registered
in eastern contests nor fly continuous
ly throughout the day. as do the east
ern pigeons But the contests develop
a hardness and a fortitude that will
prove of inestimable value, army men
believe, if their use should ever again
be required in warfare
Late next June most of the clubs of
the West viii unite for flights from
Pocatello. Idaho to Oakland, and from
Salem to Oakland From 700 to 1000
birds likely win be entered.
Signal corps pigeoneering at pres
ent besides encouraging civilian inter-
est, is directing efforts toward the
breeding of those able to fly effective
ly through fog and at high, mountain
attitudes, and to interisland flights
where a practical peace-time use for
the birds prevails.
Col. Arthur S. Cowan of the Ninth
corps area headquarters believes that
experimental work started in Panama
ond corr;nd an ox4a,, sfx.n1x, 80 Roou
field, Cal, and at Honolulu viii give
the United States a vastly superior
bird equipment
Though the pigeon was recognized
as military adjunct as early as the
fifth Egyptian dynasty about 5000 B.
c., Americas entrance into the war
found this country, he said, the only
one of the great powers virtually with
out trained pigeons. Germany had an
efficient and well-established service
which was used by all arms and was
effective in getting messages from In
telligence operatives in England to
the war department at Berlin.
Bird Is Last Resort
American army officers learned that
the artillery barrages played havoc
with telephone and radio systems and
that when advanced or detached units
found themselves far from friendly
lines and the need was urgent to no
tify headquarters, that the pigeon was
the most trustworthy messenger. 1t
could mount rapidly, quickly getting
above artillery fire and gas clouds,
and, flying at express train speed, sell
dom failed to deliver.
When every other method of com
munications had failed. the bird, nine
times out of ten, got through safely,
sometimes exhibiting heroism that
won War department commentator.