DECORATING CANNON TO FOOL THE ENEMY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1010, 13 November 1917, Page 8

DECORATING CANNON TO FOOL THE ENEMY.

'I lio younger painters in France form what is called the llaltalion de la Cauioulle, writes Aline. Hernardini-iSioo-sled,- in Cartoons .Magazine, a battalion whose duties consist of “making; up” fstills, autos, shelters, and even whole landscapes to deceive the enemy’s eves —tho aeroplanes. They impart to a munition depot the innocent appearance ot a prairie. The 7o’s under their hands take on the semblance of old trees. free trunks and old earls are transfigured by these artists into formidable batteries on which the hostile lire may spend itself. They colour Hie autos to resemble roads or fields. At \ ersailles one may see thousands of motor ears spotted 'like lizards with irregular blotches of khaki, light green, or dust grey. The grand chief of the Camonlie is the celebrated decorator Fora in. who has earned Ins war cross at the front, as have many of his confreres. Nor is this work without its dangers. The Camoullo must repeatedly ascend in aeroplanes to judge the effect of his uork, or to decide on the necessary retouching to be done. Ho must sometimes advance ahead of the first line during the night to take measurements ulnch will permit him to imitate exactly a certain tree trunk or part of a crumbled wall in No Alan’s Land, which must be copied, moulded, and armoured toe same night to serve as shelters ior observers. The sculptors, among t inn such illustrious men us Ihmchard the creator ol the Calvin monument at ue.nova, and Lamiowski, shape the ungainly clay models, which their companions paint with the protective colouring. 1