Civilian pigeon fanciers were appealed to and urged to breed young birds to stock the Government lofts. The Signal Corps distributed small aluminum bands to be put on the legs of squeakers, as the newly-hatched pigeons are called, which were intended for sale to the Government. The uniform price of $2 per bird was paid, and over 10,000 youngsters were bought for stocking purposes.
Tons of pigeon feed were purchased and shipped to Europe. Some of this grain, such as millet, Argentine corn, pop corn, hemp seed, and Canada peas, was hard to obtain; but nevertheless the supply was well maintained. It was shipped in hermetically sealed containers to prevent it from becoming mildewed.
The American Army copied the French and English models of willow and reed baskets to hold the birds. One type of basket was carried on the back of the soldier and contained small corselets in which the pigeons were securely fastened. Corselets were suspended from the sides of the basket by elastic contrivances permitting considerable joggling without injury to the birds. All of these baskets were made by the A. L. Randell Co., of Chicago.
Message books were manufactured in accordance with a French model. After the message had been written, it was placed in an aluminum capsule which was fitted in a holder of aluminum. This holder was attached to the pigeon's leg by means of aluminum bands. These bands were found to break easily, and pure copper bands were later substituted. The message holders were manufactured by Thomas A. Gey, of Norristown, Pa.
Thousands of items of supply were included in the supply schedules of the Signal Corps. In the following lists some of the more important items are shown, the production indicated in each case being that between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918.
| Telephone equipment. |
|---|
| Produced. | Floated overseas. |
|---|
| Batteries, dry | 970,171 | 396,427 |
| Bells: | | |
| Extension | 865 | 470 |
| Vibrating | 13,756 | 12,934 |
| Blocks, connecting | 6,500 | 6,500 |
| Cabinets, wire chief, testing | 225 | 225 |
| Coils: | | |
| Induction | 255 | 50 |
| Repeating | 801 | 801 |
| Condensers | 10,205 | 6,788 |
| Cords: | | |
| For telephones | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| For switchboards | 23,539 | 11,890 |
| Fuses, for monocord switchboard | 670,000 | 341,000 |
| Receiver diaphragms | 2,700 | 2,050 |
| Receivers, telephone | 12,950 | 9,354 |
| Repeaters, telephone | 362 | 362 |
| Staples, insulated | 912,300 | 809,800 |
| Switchboards: | | |
| Camp, 40-line | 111 | 68 |
| Commercial types | 304 | 304 |
| Switchboard, telephone, monotype | 14,462 | 13,264 |
| Telephones: | | |
| Artillery type (W. E. 1375) | 66,544 | 46,123 |
| Camp | 38,456 | 32,668 |
| Commercial types | 2,669 | 1,514 |
| Telephone offices, truck | 1 | 1 |
| Telegraph equipment. |
|---|
| Produced. | Floated overseas. |
|---|
| Buzzers, service | 3,983 | 3,478 |
| Connectors, stud | 8,027 | 8,027 |
| Disks, cipher | 6,157 | 6,157 |
| Keys | 1,830 | 1,830 |
| Relays | 1,672 | 1,147 |
| Sounders | 1,998 | 1,998 |
| Switchboard, telegraph | 1,321 | 550 |
| Telegraph office, truck | 1 | 1 |
| Typewriters | 920 | 880 |
| Vibroplex, transmitter | 470 | 420 |
| Radio equipment. |
|---|
| Total produced. |
|---|
| Airplane interphone set | 4,263 |
| Airplane radio telegraph receiving set | 7,029 |
| Airplane radio telegraph transmitting set | 3,971 |
| Airplane radio telephone set | 3,186 |
| Amplifiers | 1,250 |
| Battery charging sets | 455 |
| Ground radio telegraph receiving set | 8,052 |
| Ground radio telegraph transmitting set | 2,637 |
| Ground radio telephone set | 527 |
| Storage batteries | 227,139 |
| T. P. S. receiving sets | 2,510 |
| T. P. S. transmitting sets | 1,995 |
| T. P. S. two-way set | 2,010 |
| Vacuum tubes | 446,818 |
| Wavemeters | 8,042 |
| Photographic equipment. |
|---|
| Production. | Shipped overseas. |
|---|
| Chemicals | pounds | 50,723 | 41,881 |
| Cameras: | | |
| 4 by 5 speed graphic | 541 | 283 |
| 4 by 5 RB graflex | 310 | 237 |
| 6½ by 8½ cycle graphic | 280 | 249 |
| Miscellaneous still | 40 | 40 |
| Motion-picture | 470 | 145 |
| Paper, photo, all sizes | gross | 21,364 | 16,364 |
| Do. | rolls | 5,186 | 3,686 |
| Lenses | 2,797 | 696 |
| Tripods, M.P. | 558 | 147 |
| Plates | dozen | 68,873 | 48,873 |
| Holders, plate | 28,298 | 18,298 |
| Film, M.P. | feet | 7,500,000 | 4,000,000 |
| Film, still | rolls | 48,814 | 28,814 |
| Line construction material. |
|---|
| Production. | Shipped overseas. |
|---|
| Anchors, guy | 17,360 | 17,120 |
| Belts, lineman's | 6,733 | 5,332 |
| Bolts, lag screws, etc. | 1,139,648 | 1,137,928 |
| Braces, cross-arm | 123,162 | 98,440 |
| Brackets: | | |
| Oak | 287,000 | 287,000 |
| Pole, galvanized | 13,929 | 13,929 |
| Transposition | 26,905 | 26,280 |
| Cable: | | |
| Telephone, circular loom | feet | 662,978 | 396,250 |
| Telephone, lead covered | miles | 80,202 | 1,696 |
| Cable compound | pounds | 6,160 | 3,760 |
| Carts, reel | 737 | 227 |
| Clamps, guy | 39,250 | 26,000 |
| Climbers, with straps | pairs | 11,828 | 10,619 |
| Cross arms | 38,500 | 38,500 |
| Gloves, lineman's | pairs | 849 | 748 |
| Hangers, cable | 51,000 | 51,000 |
| Insulators, for lance poles | 291,124 | 26,700 |
| Insulators, glass | 1,158,836 | 1,158,836 |
| Insulators, porcelain | 2,411,670 | 1,798,220 |
| Knives, electrician's. | 264,754 | 141,920 |
| Knobs, wooden | 953,540 | 400,000 |
| Marlin | pounds | 4,527 | 1,427 |
| Muslin, cable-splicers | yards | 1,251 | 1,251 |
| Nails, for insulators | pounds | 36,000 | 36,000 |
| Pikes, wire | 1,992 | 1,728 |
| Pins, cross-arm | 807,653 | 477,400 |
| Pliers, lineman's | 193,533 | 84,642 |
| Poles, lance | 209,000 | 23,685 |
| Reels, breast | 6,109 | 6,108 |
| Sleeves, copper, splicing | 146,934 | 51,934 |
| Solder | pounds | 21,808 | 14,606 |
| Tape: | | |
| Friction | do. | 106,042 | 90,318 |
| Rubber | do. | 20,523 | 16,713 |
| Terminals, cable | 1,290 | 1,290 |
| Wire: | | |
| Stranded, messenger | feet | 2,470,577 | 2,470,357 |
| Telephone— | | |
| Copper, bare | miles | 126,664 | 78,880 |
| G.I. bare | do. | 14,411 | 7,970 |
| Single, insulated | do. | 23,950 | 14,011 |
| Twisted pair, Insulated | do. | 75,022 | 45,457 |
| Wire carts | 721 | 327 |
CONCLUSION.