Show ameno EMS aerial war arm es andi y a train moves alp 9 with within jn div five e miles back of 0 H H I 1 the german trenches trendier tren dies or jl a squadron ot of men come up for or relief relict or digging Is begun on a new series of 0 em ein placements but a pair of keen eyes stead ily watch ing from great erent observation balloons just behind the a allied front takes notice of 0 it every movement every activity Is registered until a schedule of the usual enemy routine Is built up and tile the average amount of motion known any departure from this schedule Is suspicious writes a captain in the aviation corps in the new york sun A train running late or with more cars than usual men eai in the trenches being relieved too frequently new roads or em placements being built too earnestly give tho the first hint that fritz across the line Is up to something A keen balloonist notes any ot of these changes and at once telephones ones down to the ground an extra train of 0 six cars passed at 1040 1040 halt half a rulle mile farther down the line another pair of eyes reports large convoy moving up to front range so an and d so 11 still a little farther down another suspicious circumstance Is noted until the general staff down below assembling sem bling all these straws foresees the beginning of a big or offensive across the line countermeasures counter measures are taken batteries directed convoys and trenches smashed up and the plans thrown askew possibly 0 however the offensive Is to c ome come from the own side the observer ascends with full knowledge of all the details of 0 action emboldened bold ened probably to move up much nearer the alie german lines than usual in the belief that the artillery will be driven off the opening bombardment Is a time of ceaseless and vital work spotting shot by shot watching for new enemy batteries to open up moving the barrage fire back and forth with the advance of the troops any error here may send the steel wall into the observers own troops or cost scores of lives later by failure to make a complete demolition of the defense work of vital importance hostile airplane overhead Is apt to break in through the telephone wire at any moment A german aviator more adventurous us than ills his fellows Is swooping down perhaps under a protecting cloud in an attempt to put out the ever watch ful eyes the ob observer erver makes ready his parachute the machine guns on the ground below click off a rain of lead at the invader and the windlass men start bringing the big envelope to g round ground with all possible speed perhaps the invader Is driven off perhaps the balloon Is set afire and t the he ball balloonist forced to parachute to the ground in either case it Is all a part ot of the days work which adds adventure and romance to the responsible work done by the balloonist such Is briefly very briefly the duty and work of the balloon observer calm patient ever watchful he rides tar far above the ground as the great envelope sways on oil its cable the balloon service abroad had been carefully it if modestly developed for military purposes and the moment that the war settled into the trenches came into its own because it was at once discovered that work could be done with them which could be done in no other way balloon observation began to assume vital importance until now hardly a mile of the front lines Is without its big clumsy envelope A constant ceaseless vigil Is maintained over every move of the he enemy over every shell fired by either side so that friends below may be saved from surprise and enemies across the lines may feel the weight of every shell hurled at them the united states Is building up such a force literally from no nothing ahng last november the old field out west was overgrown with weeds the gas reservoir out of repair the whole place stagnant in the last few months hoN however rever the field lias has been cleared and brought back to activity the air once again Is filled with big friendly balloons and keen faced men are being trained for immediate service abroad already the first american detachments are in france the vanguard of a large american balloon force borce which ultimately will be as complete as any other branch of tile the army duties of observers the work chrt this force will do will be invaluable with the airplane spotters and photographers it will complete the vast air service which it 11 Is expected will blind the german army and prepare the way for the artillery and fofar ry to break up the k X i 3 va W 1 M AM 0 WY german military resistance its rain ute ite by minute observations will head off lit nil all enemy surprises and will at the same time make it possible for americans and american munitions to secure the maximum of destruction on the other side of no mans land few of us here realize that the big envelopes commonly ascend as high as feet and that they stay for hours poised in midair to perform the responsible duties assigned to them usually the ascent Is made anywhere from two and one halt half to tour four and one half miles from the front line trenches depending on the power of his artillery tile the direction of the wind and the activity of the sal salient lent in any case the observer has a circle of vision of about eight miles and Is able to pierce far back into the lines the most detailed and up to the minute maps the finest kind of field glasses and instant communication muni cation with the ground make the balloonist a master of everything spread out before his bis gaze when the american troops are preparing to go over the top an unusually large number of balloons will be concentrated as secretly as possible in in attken camps in order not to tar betray what Is about to take place at the appointed moment they will take the air and divide up every detail of the battle among them some will record the heavy artillery tire shot by shot others will see to it that the wor work k 0 of demolition behind the lines Is effective others will guard against any re or traps keep watch on foe fee As the troops go over they will check closely the german batteries the shifting of their infantry and the assembling of supplies As the amer american forces advance the balloons will vill move forward also in unison with them along routes previously prepared observations for the barrage will be sent down repeatedly so that it may move back and forth with tile the men and details sent so that the enem ys guns setting up the destructive coun ter barrage may be silenced to do this the american balloonist must know every detail of the land opposite him for a mistake on his part may cost the lives of scores of men below no new battery should open up tip across the lines without its location being spotted on the detail map the number and size of the pieces and their objective noted and counter fire preparations made against it no ko new troops should move into the enemy trenches without being fully known numbers its as well as routes most difficult work ot of all for the german has many wily devices tor for simulating gunfire and camouflaging movements and the work also will not be without dangers and difficulties though the chances of a fatal outcome are not large it it is not a swooping airman bent on setting the big gas bag an fire it may be a rain of shrapnel seeking the same object objective Lve or of 0 percussion shells endeavoring to blow up tile the windlass below and set the big bag adrift in a wind blowing across the german lines naturally every precaution in the way ot of protecting airmen and antiaircraft anti aircraft guns are on OIL hand but even at that constant vigilance Is essential plans progressing rapidly plans tor for all this work are now progressing at a gratifying rate the american balloon program has been aided by the best and latest developments abroad while manufacture presents but a few difficulties owing to the resources of the big american rubber be companies the great need as with all the air program Is for men of the type find and ability needed men for officers commissioned as observers and men for the enlisted squadrons to do the delicate mechanical work necessary men bien who are being selected x as observers and who mho will all be commissioned as officers should have physical endurance acute vision an appreciation of distances and localities and above all a sense of responsibility and thoroughness in keeping with the importance ot of the work assigned to them they may be somewhat older than aviators preferably from twenty five to thirty five and of somewhat less severe physical requirements A special c I 1 al tra training of n g Is gl given ve a I 1 in n w winds laag military milic observation meteorology and ballooning before a cadet receives his officers commission and his post above the trenches in france in order that the high standards pre prevailing throughout the air service generally may be upheld for the enlisted men who will form the squadrons gas works employees rope riggers cordage workers and mcchan clans are especially fitted |