The Sunday Oregonian., December 21, 1919, Magazine Section, Page 7, Image 87

THE SUNDAY OKEGONIAN, PORTLAND, DECEMBER 21, 1919.
7
FEATHERED SOLDIERS REGULARS IN UNCLE SAM'S ARMY
Along the Mexican Border Pigeons Are Being Used in the Hide and Seek Game With Bandits
and These Little Cavalrymen of the Air Are Proving Valuable Aids to Our Fighting Men
J!T7,,f wA tWw Pigeons UM ktoZft
h i Trss
1
THE pigeon service is to be a per
manent branch of the United
States army. It is now in process
of organization, as a section of the
signal corps, and may be said to- be
already in full operation along the
Mexican border, where its men, as
signed to outpost duty, carry small
pigeon cotes of basketwork strapped
to their backs and containing two or
lour messenger birds.
Some of these men are mounted and
equipped as cavalrymen; others are
on foot. If such a sentryman ob
serves condit i- across the border
that seem to demand military atten
tion, he can call for help without
making any noise. Though he were
shot and severely wounded, he would
probably, have strength enough to
release a pigeon.
The main idea, along the Mexican
border line, is to keep headquarters
informed of the exact whereabouts
of the men on outpost duty, and to
convey warning of possible raids. At
a number of points near the boundary
pigeon lofts are now maintained.
Some of them are stationary; others
mounted on motor trucks and others
are operated for breeding and train
ing the birds.
At Fort Sam Houston, Texas, there
is a large breeding establishment to
supply ready-trained young pigeons
for the southern department. But
this Is only one of a number that will
soon be in full operation. Another
will be at Little Silver. N. J. These
breeding stations will also be train
ing stations for men enlisted in'the
pigeon service, an important part of
their professional education having to
do with the hatching, rearing and in
struction of the birds.
During the war we had an oppor
tunity to learn a good dial more
than we knew before about the use
fulness of pigeons as military messen
gers. Having come to realise their
value, the war department proposes
to utilize pigeons on a larger scale
from this time on In Its Intelligence
service. There will be a large num
ber of lofts established in suitabl
places. On the island of Oahu. In the
Hawaiian archipelago, we shall have
them; likewise in the canal zone and
probably in the Philippines. A "loft"
will be maintained at "West Point, to
familiarize future officers with meth
ods of training and using the birds.
There is likely to be another at An
napolis, for naval employment
Pigeons are used in many ways In
the air service. If an aviator makes a
forced landing, due to engine or
other trouble, he can send a bird to
fetch help. Thus, for illustration,
only the other day two airplanes were
compelled to land on a flight from
Kelly field (San Antonio) to Austin.
Pigeons carried messages telling
where they were and asking aid; the
assistance arrived, the machines were
repaired and the air trip was resumed
before telegraphic or telephonic com
munication could have been estab
lished. The birds, carried by airplanes and
in the cars of balloons, are housed in
neat little boxes, specially contrived
for the purpose, from which they can
be readily lifted for launching, as the
term Is. All that is necessary is to
push a thumb catch and raise the lid.
The message i,s written on a small
strip of thin paper rolled up and in
serted Into a little aluminum cylinder,
which is fastened by a clip to the
pigeon's leg.
The convenience of the mobile loft,
run by gasoline is obvious. Inasmuch
as it can travel along with any mili
tary command that is on the march.
For training the birds, the pigeon
service also makes much use of
motorcycles, by which they are Car
ried to distant points, to be liberated
and find their way back. At first
the distances are short, but gradually
they are Increased, and In this way
the feathered messengers get their ed
ucation.
Telegraph and telephone lines may
Th fYafcr OT7 tie Rio arnde.
be wrecked by storms, or It may not
be practicable to build them. ''Wire
less" may be rendered useless by at
mospheric conditions. But pigeons
rarely fall. They did wonderful work
recently In Texas, bringing the first
news of conditions in the storm
wrecked area along the coast. For
some days, indeed, they afforded the
only means of communication, the
"radio" falling down completely.
On that occasion an army relief
train, taking with it a radio tractor,
was sent to Corpus Christi. The radio
sent was put Up, but failed to oper
ate. Of course all the telegraph and
telephone lines were down. But the
birds came right through the storm
and rain, malting 150 miles in five to
seven hours, about twice the time
they would have required for the Jour
ney in good weather.
The balloon school at Brooks field.
In the southern department, has amply
demonstrated the superiority of
pigeon liaison over all other methods
of communication for the air service.
Free balloons are used for the train
ing of pilots, and often they land hun
dreds of miles away, far from tele
phone or telegraph stations. Their
course, however, is made known by
releasing birds every half hour or
hour, one being retained to give the
location of final landing, so that a
transport oar may be sent to brine
the balloon and Its men back home.
The motor transport corps of the
army now uses pigeons when trucks
and truck trains are sent out on long
trips into regions where telephone
and telegraph stations are few and
Launching 9 figeon frosn an AzrpZsne
Xororcyclfj are Used for Jrjizung Birds on JTfxicanordr.
far between. But the birds have a
great variety of other possible em
ployments. The war department Is
turning over to the forest service
some of Its war lofts for use when
wire connections are unavailable or
destroyed.
It Is thought that olvlllans might
make use of messenger pigeons In
many practical ways for Instance, on
hunting trips or on automobile expe
ditions through sparsely settled parts
of the country. They are dependable
up to 500 miles, though the beet re
sults are obtained when distances do
not exceed half that. A homing bird
can cover ordinarily 10 miles In 12 to
20 minutes, or 150 miles in 2V4 to five
hours.
The pigeon used is not the so-called
carrier, but the homer, which is an
altogether different breed. It posses
ses in a marvelous degree the Instinct
to return to Its home "loft." But this
can be greatly Improved and devel
oped by education. In fact, the bird,
to do proper service, must be trained
and disciplined as carefully as any
soldier of the line. One thing it must
be taught is to enter Its loft to trap,
as the technical phrase Is Immedi
ately upon returning. It must not be
allowed to loaf outside, as pigeons
sometimes will, especially after short
trips, when they come back unfa
tlgued and not particularly hungry.
When they "trap" a bell rings, giving
notice of their arrival.
Special foods are required to keep
them In proper condition. These In
clude Canadian peas, vetches, millet,
mllo maize and rice. Hemp seed they
get occasionally as a dainty- Wheat
Is not good for pigeons." They must
have grit and plenty of good clean
water. Most of the army plgeoneta
tlons have lofts equipped with run
ning water. It is necessary to keep
the birds confined when they are not
working.
The pigeon service is a branch of
the army that ought strongly to In
vite young men. Its duties are agree
able and interesting and the oppor
turities for advancement are good.
The only requirements for enlistment
are good health and physique, a gram
mar school education and a natural
liking for animals. Men thus em
ployed may engage In other studies,
and at the air stations will have a
chance to fly and to qualify as air
pilots.
There are now a number of vacan
cies at the headquarters loft. Fort
Sam Houston, southern department,
also in the western department and
In the department of Hawaii.
SERVICE MEN PROFIT FROM LESSONS
GLEANED IN FOREIGN BATTLEFIELDS
Spirit of Patriotism Engendered Is Renewed Whenever They Allow Their Thoughts t Dwell on Fate
of Peoples in France and Belgium.
(Continued From First Page.)
ger on account of the fond remem
bered associations connected with the
season and home.
In the back areas, near the training
camps and supply depots, the men
managed to have a fair time, and did
not get so down-hearted as did the
comrade who was far removed and In
actual touch with old war sores. It
was hard to be too lonesome when
there was no sign of carnage and the
happy French civilians were ready
and anxious to do their level best to
make things easy for the strangers
from far-off America. But they felt
the urge also, and while some of the
soreness was swept away the feeling
of remoteneas was always present,
and even with these boys It seemed
more than mortal man could stand to
have to spend another happy season
away from their loved ones.
In an endeavor to allay the panes
of home hunger much leave was given
at this time and the areas were cram
med to capacity with the lucky ones.
Here every opportunity was given for
forgetfulness, and every resource of
the social organizations was taxed
to the utmost in properly caring for
the really 111 boys entrusted to their
care. How they wanted their home
and what fond pictures they had
painted of it during such a time as
the present! This year they are where
they wanted to be last and they are
all enjoying it to the utmost, espe
cially wnen tney take the time to
recollect back and remember the sad
country that they have left behind
there and contrast their present lot
with that of the people who have lost
eo much and have so hard a fate left
them In life.
Many parties took advantage of the
relaxation of duty in 1918's end to
tour the battlefields, and when they
saw the carnage and utter desolation
of the sectors that had been occupied
by the battling forces for several
years past, they thought back a year
and two years and three years, and
even four years, and tried to visual
ise the conditions at that time. This
brought home to them how fortunate
they had been that they did not have
to put in those cold hard Christmas
periods in the trenches, in the old
days of limited objectives and hold on
for grim death in mud and ice and
water for month after month.
While world conditions seem to be
adjusting themselves once again,
there is yet a long stretch to trav
erse before the normal Is reached.
The past year has shown that all the
lessons that should have been taught
by the war have not yet been fully
assimilated. The ideal conditions afV
far from reached as yet, and some
skeptics would have us doubt if they
ever come. The service man seems to
be a fond believer In the ultimate
triumph of the ideals that he fought
for, and is even ready to venture forth
and do battle for the same essentials
once again. If i.ecessary. Right here
at home he has had many problems
to meet and solve, and has managed
to emerge triumphant from most of
the tests.
Unrest in America has not been the
fault of the service man, and in Ore-
of the country Is the. front and
laboring for her better Interests.
Not all of this has been easily
learned, but the overseas man es
pecially, has always present In his
mind's eye, the harrowing scenes that
he has witnessed as a tiny atom of
the combat forces in the war-torn
countries and there is always present
In hie Intimate thoughts the lessons
that he has had from his contact with
the suffering peoples of other lands.
All this has made him firm in bis
thoughts and determined that he will
do his utmost to prevent like condi
tions to take place In his own land.
On his return he found that times
had changed and that he had to often
take hia place in a world vastly dlf-
FAITH.
Since all that is was ever bound to be;
Since grim, eternal laws our Being bind;
And both the riddle and the answer find,
And both the carnage and the calm decree;
Since plain within the Book of Destiny
Is written all the journey of mankind
Inexorably to the end; since blind
And mortal puppets playing parts are we:
Then let's have faith; good cometh out of ill;
The power that shaped the strife shall end the strife;
Then let's bow down before the Unknown Will;
Fight on, believing all is well with life;
Seeing within the worst of war's red rag?
The gleam, the glory of the Glden Age.
Robert W. Service.
gon. In common with other sections
of the country, he has been a real
factor in its subjugation. Co-operating
with the civil authorities In this
fight, the service man has shown a
willingness to apply the lessons that
he learned in so costly a manner on
the battlefields that proves he will
ever be a force to be reckoned with
in the country. It Is regarded as a
healthy sign, and as an indication oi
what may be expected In the future,
when the concerted actions of the
ex-soldter are considered. He has re
moved his uniform. jbut is yet In the
service of his country. The time
served with the colors has taught him
much, and America seems to have
found ntrself and the healthy blood
ferent from that he left. This
not altogether on account of the fact
that there was such a startling
change in actual conditions, but a
great deal of It was for the reason
that the man's course of reasoning
and thinking had altered. His view
point had altered, he had learned to
consider essentials and cast out the
little things and would not accept
situations that he had been content
with in the past, but insisted on what
he thought was his rightful due.
A better America and a better Ore
gon will be the result, no doubt, if
this has not already taken place, but
the army Is yet present in everyday
life, though they have removed their
uniforms. How strong the service
man is, and how healthy, are Aja
thoughts, can hardly be understood
by the average layman, but all that
Is necessary Is to attend one of their
gatherings and witness the splendid
spirit of co-operation and fair play
that the have learned as a result of
their service together In that most
fascinating of olosely knitting games,
war.
Teamwork has been absorbed and
it Is not likely that the army men
will ever forget what they have .prof
ited by unison and will carry thiB on
through the years to come. To date
they have not allowed themselves to
suffer, as was the case in the pact,
and the men, now out of the service,
have, by getting together, managed
to care for their comrades, except in
a very few cases. In this respect It
would be no more than right to state
that there have been few who have
abused the privilege that has been
offered them of profiting by the as
sistance of their former chums-In
arms and that the splendid spirit of
open-handed help among buddies is
bearing great fruit.
Employment is a problem that the
service men seem to have conquered
to a great extent, though it is far
from being completely solved. Indeed
at the start of the recent cold snap
there were over 1000 of the boys
without work and it would seem that
the storm was made to order, as they
were offered ample labor and did hot
hesitate In availing themselves of
what came to hand. They will likely
always be found ready In an emer
gency and, for this reason, if for no
other, would seem to be meriting the
support of the entire community.
Keen to take their old place in the
industrial life of the city and coun
try, if they could not rind a place
they seemed to possess the ability to
create one. Men who have been
through the vicissitudes that they
have would refuse to be daunted by
any trivial obstacles offered by ordi
nary civilian life and they have gone
in to win. All that they have to do
is to think back on what they have
been through, on what they have seen
and then to go out and win, and they
do so. Only give them half a chance
and the great majority of them come
through, they have the pride of corps,
and they do, in civil life. Just as they
would have done In war, knowing
that their comrades are standing be
hind them and boosting every effort.
Just a year ago the majority of
them were yet Jn the battle sone, ach
ing and tearing their hearts to pieces
to get home. Now they are here,
most) of them again adjusted to peace
ful pursuits once more. They are
bigger, better men than when they
went away. Thev have learned their
rieseon well and will teach what they
have managed to acquire to future
among our stores, offices
and factories is the leaveu of the
world war teachings, and all are man
aging to profit therefrom. Ruin and
desolation, want and misery pain and
deprivation, all have their lessons,
and graphic ones. too. Knowledge
gained In Buch a manner and at such
a cost Is not to be desired, but once
so gained cannot be forgotten. Plc
turlzation of what has happened In
war sones, and the reflection on what
was encountered there will always
serve to keep 'he men wWo have man
aged to come through it safely reso
lute in their work. Students of cause
and effect unite in telling us that we
will have a steadier and better class
of mm in the nation than ever be
fore. A section of the country, such
as Oregon, which led the nation in
voluntary enlistments, will naturally
show an even healthier condition than
other parts of the United States. That
this Is already the case has been dem
onstrated during the recent period of
unrest whn this state was promi
nent by the utter absence of trouble.
Oregon's sons can always think
back on one of the proudest records
ot the entire nation in war, and they
have determined to make just as bril
liant a battle in peace. AH desolation
and ravages are not of war, and the
peace-time soldier of here will not
forget the scenes of France and Bel
glum. Just a recollection of Tpres,
the cloth hall, the ruined churches,
the ravaged communities, the disrupt
ed families, ar.d. above all. the super
lative suffering, and then the con
trast with tie peaceful count! y of the
nation that was the initial cause of
the entire war, will serve to put fresh
determination in the souls of all who
went through the fight, that their
country will not suffer likewise.
Who says the war is over? While
others carry on.
The little woodtn crosses spell out
the dead and gone?
Not while they deck a skyline, not
white they :rown a view.
Or a living soldier sees them and sets
his teeth anew.
E. W. Hornung pays this tribute to
the fallen comrades in his epic poem.
"Wooden Crosses." and the thought
suggested cannot hetp but find an
echo In the hearts of those who safely
returned, and they will live their lives
as their absent and glorified comrades
would wish, for home and country.
WAR ENDS GREAT HISTORICAL
PERIOD, STUDENTS BELIEVE
Public Interest Stirred in England and Continent Recent Events Said
to Lead to Grand Consummation and Millennium in 1931.
(Continued From Pace S.)
Hotels Threaten to Close.
BRUNSWICK. Germany The ho
tels, restaurants and cafes here have
-notified the employes that they will
close their establishments indefinite
ly from December 1 as a protest
against the local government food
organization. The owners claim that
not only is the system of distribution
faulty, but they are constantly har
rassed by espionage and house
searching for illicitly, procured good.
the Parts sector has worn proudly on
his left shoulder.
Nevertheless, old Clovls. the Frank,
was a Qermanlc tribesman, imposing
hie frogs on the race which merited
lilies: and In the light of present
knowledge. It becomes quite obvious
(they say) that "the three andean
spirits like frogs" coming out of the
mouth of the Beast to call forth the
kings of the earth to the battle of
Armageddon, are once and always.
yesterday, today and tomorrow the
personification of German propagan-i
orlgfhally with Clovls, the outsider in
France.
Only today (they say) can we rea
lize the world-famine (Revelation vi:
8-) personified by him bn the black
horse and the voice In the midst of
the Four Beasts saying:
"A measure of wheat for a penny,
and three measures of barley for a
penny: and see that thou hurt not the
oil and the wine!"
French Interpreters eo too far. un
doubtedly, when they apply this warn
ing to the prohibition of French wines
In America and American petroleum
refining In France; but It Is not ex-
Also. it must be admitted, the ma
jority of those Interested In the -prophecies
do not hold to the exact crates
as above. The conviction is. rather,
that the times are near that we are
at the end Of some great period, and
able, now, to look into things which
angels desired to see!
To Daniel It was said: "Shut thou
up the vision, for it shall be for many
days (in symbolic prophecy, a "day"
has always been the symbol of a year,
and a "time" of 860 years). But to
John. 600 years later, it was said:
"Seal not the sayings of the phophecy
of thts book; for the times are at
hand" clear evidence, says the school
of Guinness, that the lapse of time
is an element in the comprehension
of prophecy. The early church, hav
ing long to wait, was mercifully al
lowed to imagine that the time would
be short: but now that 18 centuries
have passed, it becomes clearer, con
tinually, where we are.
All Interpreters are quite agreed,
for example, that the prophecies of
Daniel are, for the most part, ful
filled and not unfulfilled prophecies
that, starting from near their own
epoch, they each gave the outline of
the history of the people of God. Jew
ish and Christian, right on to the
millennium.
And so. where are we?
Svidently, say the more moderate,
we are at the end of the great period
called "the times of the Gentiles."
quoted by our Lord St. Paul calls
It "the fullness of the Gentiles." It
in the great "seven, times' ot Daniel
the grandiose "week" each of
whose days Is a "time" of 360 years,
and whose whole duration is. there
fore, 2520 years.
The tree which Nebuchadnezzar
saw cut down for its stump to be
left and wetted with the dews of
heaven until "seven times" should
pass over it, represented the Insanity
period of both the king and the world.
The great apostacy of the latter days
having a period of I960 years assigned
to It repeatedly spoken of as half a
week, or "time, times and the divid
ing of time" tl. 2 and ) It becomes
obvious that the other half ot the
week, the first half, passed ahead
of It. So, as a fact, they say. we have
only to count. The Assyrian, Persian.
Grecian. Roman and other Gentile
empires which were to fill up this
long interval of Jewish bad luck
have, as a matter of history, already
lasted for about 2S20 years!
Counted by solar 'time, the dates
are as follows:
From B. C. 606 (conquest of Jehoia
klm; Loss of Jewish Independence),
the "seven times," 1. e 2520 years,
bring us to A D. 1915.
From B. C. SSS (overthrow of
Jehoiachin: fall of the throne of
Judah). they bring us to A D. 1923.
From B C. 587 (burning of the tem
ple and complete destruction of Jeru
salem in the days of Ledeklab). they
bring us to A. D. 1934.
Any of these dates, , for example,
would have filled with wonder and
delight, could he have seen the for
tunes of Jerusalem coming out Of the
world's war. old Christopher Colum
bus, when he wrote his "Interpreta
tions of the Prjphecles," 500 years
ago. If you desire to look them up.
consult Professor H. C. Kirk of Wash
ington, D. C. the author of "The Se
cret of Columbus" (Hayworth, 1914).
Columbus, foreseeing absolutely no
detailed meaning of his famous quo
tations from Isaiah, would have
deemed the present approximation of
pnphecy and history to be wonderful.
Indeed!
"Surely, the isles await for me.
and the ships of Tarshish first, to
bring thy sons from afar! (Isaiah
lx: 9) ....
"And it shall come to pass in that
day that the Lord shall set his hand
again the second time to recover the
remnant of his people which shall be
left, from Assyria, and from Egypt,
and from Pathros .... and from
the islands of the sea." (Isaiah xi:
11,-12)
The islands if the sea. that's us!
"And he shall set up an ensign for
the nations, and shall assemble the
outensts of Israel, and gather to
gether the dispersed of Judah from
the four cornea of the earth."
All right.
It's close at hand.
While as for us, it is written and
Columbus wonderingly copied It:
"And to the isles he shall pay reo-