Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-03
How The Var Affects Us.
xLi.-As to Leather Goods
By Frederic J. Haskin.

When wars alarum rings Du8leFS
play Boots and Saddles" in more
senses than one. It Is not only that
they call hard-riding cavalrymen to
mount for the charge. but the name of
the historic call suggests one of the
great economic factors in modern war
fare.
It has been written that an army
travels on it's stomach. but 1t is no less
true that a modern army travels on
shoe leather. Armies must be fed, and
thew also must be shod. very great
uart Of Europe does its work in times
of peace in wooden shoes, but wooden
shoes are not suited for the grim toll
imposed by the God OF Battle.
The war is barely two months old.
and already there are tales OF Intense
suffering caused by bad shoes There
are stories Of German reserve regi-
meuts shod in rough, fll-fatting boots;
an occasional pathetic story Of Belgian
reservists in wooden shoes. ana OF SER
vian regulars reduced to wrapping
their feet in rage. One reads of French
soldiers wearing out their too-de!fcate
shoes. and at the same time neaIs
boasts Of the superior quality OF Brit
In such lighting as is going on in
Europe shoe leather 10 rapidly worn
away. No doubt the
War in Eurone two months OF war
already have con-
HARD on ShoeS. sumed more shoes
than Europe ordinarily would wear out
in a year. This brings in the question
of our own boot and shoe industry. The
United States leads all the countries OF
the world in the production not only of
shoes, but all shoe-making machinery.
As one trade journal says:
Tho members of the boot and shoe
trade are sufficiently gifted with
powers Of deduction to infer when q
man appears with an order for several
hundred thousand pairs of mems shoes
all Of one type, and that type such
as is commonly used by those who
travel much on foot-that the order
originates with some European gov
eminent, and that the shoes are needed
for armies in the field"
Several such orders have been oner-
ed to American manufacturers. OUT
thus far few, If any. Of them have been
accepted. One order for 100000 pairs,
supposed to be from the French gov
eminent, was seriously considered. An
certain large plants which. 1t was be-
lived. could turn out considerable
amount. but the effort was .unsuccess-
full and the order has not yet been
placed.
There are serveral difficulties in the
way. In the first place. the orders
are offered by
Buyers Reticent persons who
When Questioned. reticent. They
will not admit that they are acting
for European governments. but. as
there is complete absence Of orders
for women's and children's shoes. 1t is
not to be supposed that the enormous
export demand results in ordinary
trade operations. american manufac-
turers are not particularly DESTROYS OF
taking this business unless they can
be absolutely sure Of delivery and COL
lections.
Again, the whole leather market shows
a decided upward tendency. Prices
are very stiff. and manufacturers are
reluctant to accept big shoe orders on
the present leather market. This fea-
ture of the leather market is partly
the result OF speculative holding and
buying, and partly the result Of the
danger that imports of raw hides may
be interfered with or entirely cut on.
Many tanneries in this country already
have been forced to curtail production
on account of falling of in the imports
of hides.
Still another difficulty shared in
common with all other industries il
the scarcity Of money. This particu-
larry affects orders for army footwear,
because the character OF shoes wanted
is different from that ordinarily manu-
would involve the purchase of new
appliances and. therefore, a considera-
Bile outlay of fresh capital. The trade
il not inclined to be excited over the
foreign demand. While a million pairs
OF shoes might seem to the uninitiated
tremendous order, it is really not