280 British War Dogs 



I have frequently emphasized the importance of propa- 

 ganda work amongst, the troops, on behalf of the dogs, 

 and I would also mention the extreme urgency, that the 

 G.O.C. of corps should take an interest in them. That he 

 should personally inspect them occasionally, and call for 

 reports on their work. The official report of the officer in 

 charge of messenger dogs in the field says : 



" Wherever the G.O.C. of a corps took interest in the 

 kennels, allotted to his corps, good work was obtained from 

 the dogs. This was especially noticeable with VIIL, XIX., 

 XXXII. Corps." 



Another excellent recommendation is as follows : 



" Commanders lack confidence in this means of com- 

 munication until actually proved, and, therefore, every 

 opportunity must be utilized of employing dogs during quiet 

 periods between battles." 



This process of education of public opinion on behalf 

 of the dogs would be part of the propaganda I have already 

 recommended elsewhere. Seeing, however, that it is now 

 stated that dogs should be used as a means of communica- 

 tion, this will always help greatly in the future in impress- 

 ing the fact, that they are considered one of the necessities 

 of modern warfare, and officers who have never had their 

 attention directed in this direction before, will now be com- 

 pelled to inquire into the subject. That they will be 

 repaid by its interesting nature, I can well assure them. 



There is little doubt, but that dogs as an auxiliary to 

 the soldier, have come to stay in our army, at all events, 

 in the case of operations on a large scale, but that their 

 use should be greatly extended in various directions in 

 time of war, and that they should also remain on the per- 

 manent establishment of the peace-time army, so that the 

 training work can be experimented upon and perfected 



