| Summary: | Alaska's Famous Dogs View War Duties As Mere Foolishness. Alaska's Famous Dogs View War Duties as Mere Foolishness By Ashman llrown. WASHINGTON. April 12.—-Alaska's sled dogs are not good soldiers; they are not first-class fighting animals. They don't fit Into the scheme of things In the American expeditionary forces in France. They are not wanted. All these revolutionary, amazing and insulting statements about the malamute and the husky come from no Jess authority than General Pershing. If you don't like what he says about your old friend, go and see him about it. Phil Ott of Fort Yukon and numerous other Alaskans who know dogs, have been tendering their dogs and their services as expert dog handlers for military work in Franoe ever since America got into the war. Before that Franoe took over some Alaskan dogs to work In winter in the mountainous regions and It waa understood that they were a success. Delegate Sulzer has Alaskans. It finally was put up to General Pershing and the department today notified Mr. Sulzer that the general has turned it down. General Pershing's report is that Alaskan dogs have not been a success in the war and that he can not use them. Divested of scientific language the report finds that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. That Alaskan dogs .are well taught and in their own business have pride in their knowledge, but can not learn the new trade and look upon military drill as mere foolishness and impracticable. Younger, lesser trained and more impressionable dogs are wanted. ' The malamute has too many fixed ideas of his own. Mr. Sulzer is now drafting a tactful letter carrying the bad news to Alaska.
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