238 British War Dogs 



to carry twelve to hfteen kilos., and they were used for 

 carrying dixies of soup, etc., and also ammunition to the 

 front line. These were considered of the greatest service 

 to the troops, and gradually, as in England, the whole 

 organization of the dogs of war began to reflect the import- 

 ance with which the authorities regarded it. There was 

 this difference between the two countries, however. The 

 French gave the whole subject great publicity, being thor- 

 oughly aware, that by doing so, they would enlist the sym- 

 pathy of the public, and obtain thereby a steady supply of 

 suitable dogs for the work. Every opportunity was, there- 

 fore, taken, both by illustration and account, of bringing 

 the progress of the organization to the notice of the Press. 

 This was a very good thing from the point of view of the 

 recruiting of the dogs. In England, on the contrary, strict 

 secrecy was for a long time maintained on the subject by 

 the authorities, and while our own papers gladly accepted 

 the very excellent photographs, etc., which came across 

 the Channel, they had no information whatever, until near 

 the end of the war, as to the dogs of our own army. In this 

 way, an erroneous impression was prevalent, that the 

 French effort in connection with Army dogs was much 

 greater, and on a much larger scale, than was that of 

 the British authorities. Such was, however, not the 

 case. 



At the Armistice, every army of the French forces had 

 its kennel of trained dogs. 



In an article commenting on the work of the French dogs 

 in an illustrated paper called Larousse Mensuel, Monsieur 

 Megnin quotes a statement made by a colonel commanding 

 in the held as follows : 



' The Lieut. -Colonel commanding the 52nd Regiment 

 oi Infantry desires to record the fact to all, of the death 



