Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-28

ships. as well as on dangerous exploration
trips"
In the fighting in Morocco and Syria in
1925 pigeons rendered invaluable services. Fly
ing columns operating in wild country far
from their bases discovered that pigeons were
as fast courierS as airplanes and about 10000
times cheaper without considering the saving
in lives of flying personnel Furthermore, the
birds could fly in all kinds Of weather although
it must be admitted that they travel faster
when the air Is clear. The percentage killed
by hawks and other birds of prey is quite small.
Another argument In their favor is that the
birds are always ready to take the air, while
airpanes are often broken down or lack gas
or some spare part. And the birds are far less
temperamental than human flyers.
The French army thinks so highly of them
that 1t keeps $4,000 birds in service in peace
time and has more than 100000 privately
owned ones in its reserve forces.
These $4,000 birds in active service today are
really professional soldiers. They are born in
the army and die in the army. From the day
they are old enough to fly the young pigeons
are carefully trained, so carefully that when
they are making practice flights they will
return instantly to the dovecot when their
trainer blows horn. The authorities are
constantly breeding new species to develop
faster and longer flyers A good bird will hy
In the field they live in horsecarts or small
motor trucks which carry IS pairs, 20 birds.
In wartime these mobile doveco:s are placed
near staff headquarters and the birds are
taken up to front-line posts in baskets. 1t is
rumored In French military circles that in
recent experiments the pigeons have been found
marvelously efficient. The purpose of these
experiments was to discover the causes which
occasionally led birds astray the effect of radio
ole Qt1.fu
OF their physical structure.
THE 100000 or zoe, 900 privately owned
carrier pigeons are considered of such great
military importance that they are surrounded
by innumerable safeguards. No foreigner Is
permitted to have them without special per-
mission Of the minister of the interior. A
Frenchman who wishes TO raise them must
have the permission of the provincial governor;
must keep a record of the birth, death or sale
of every one of his birds; must prevent them
breeding with ordinary pigeons, and must make
an annual report to the authorities. There are
heavy fines against hunters killing them or
using them for pigeon shoots Any person find
ing stray one must report 1t to the nearest
mayor at once Unauthorized persons in pos
session of pigeons, even in peacetime, can be
sentenced to prison for as much as five years
on a charge Of plotting against the safety of
the state. ANY bird found without name and
number plate is to be killed when found.
In case of war; every carrier pigeon in
France would be modified at once, the mill
tary authorities having a complete list that
is kept up to date.
The reason for this severe control of the
pigeon industry is that, in case of invasion or
occupation, there is no quicker and surer means
for enemy spies in France to send out in
formation. A little bird will easily accomplish
in several hours a mission that will not only
represent many dangerous pitfalls for an
enemy courier but involve great expense, much
scheming, and possibly fail in the end.
During the German occupation of Belgium
and Northern France the British intelligence
service received regular reports from occupied
territory by these BIRDS. English aviators would
fly at night to little frequented field near