The daily Alaskan., 1914-12-29
EASE IN SEARCHING
Foot Comfort Is Essential to the
 Soldier In Warfare.
THE GERMAN MILITARY SOCK.

lt Is In the Form of a Large Napkin,
 Is the Result of Years of Study and
 May Be Folded About the Foot ThIr-
 ty Different Ways to Relieve Pain.
 The famous field marshal, von MOltke. once said that the Anglo-SaX- uus are a warlike people. but that the Germans are a military people. The Anglo-SaxOn fights to the death when war comes. careless of his previous preparation. After the war Is over ne drops his arms, di>mtSseS all thoughts of war from his mind and returns to his civil pursuits. The German. on the other hand. feels in time of peace as keen an interest in war as he does in
 the midst of cuudict. He takes note of his errors iu one war and when peace comes dcvUtCs himself to rene dying these errors.
 \ German officer who was visiting America spoke ot the way ID which his people addressed themselves to war problems in time of peace
 Here iS an excellent illustration, he ! said, uud lifting his loUJ ne took of
 his shoe. From about lis foot be then took roi tue or,liaary sock that men l wear elsewhere. bu; d sort ot napkin or ha1dk"rrnirf. which was carefully ! folded about 't.
 ! This" ne said "!S thc German mil tUry sock. It k Ire rr>uI. of years ot study and experiment. Dy the best minds. not yu.l in rHe German army 1 but iu German SyivLcc and medicine During ;nr F'rauco.pruSsian war Ot ] 1870. when our armies were making forced marchrS around Metz and on | to Sedan. ouy infantry was much i'm
 peded by Sorr feet. When it came to having q certain number of men at a certain point at a certain time for a | decisive stroke we were usually from | 10 tU 70 Der cent short, because so many mcu had fallen out of the ranks
 from sore feet.
 We got through tiv wur all right,
 for our enemies were aS badly off in 1 that respect as we were, but as soon as the war WIS over the government
 ordered every rran in the service to | twl his attention tO CUntriying a form of footwear tha. would be more scrv i jcrablr to the lnan of peace when sud. denly called tU war. It was years be ] fore the present sock was adopted.
 Thousands of dollars were spent in experimenting. Thousands of soldiers marched .u an ki~lS of fO0tEcar test, cd every possible kind of sock and stocking. After yeurs of trial this form
 was chosen Here are some of the wu,.s in which 1t cau he worn" Thrrcupcn the officer took the nap Gin. which was about eighteen or twenty inches square, made of cotton and linen and folded it about his foot
 with thp drftncSs of q Turk winding his turbuu about his head Then un wrapping it. he folded it about his foot iu a different manner and then in sliI. u th:Id way
 "rhrre arr about thirty different WHY'S ur fadug this sock about the
 foot" Hr said "anl during his three yrarS in thI army the Su'IieT iS taught
 10 ur, ume expert in u.iug them a!i Each manner of folding it has differ mt ruruuSu One will relieve d sore
 urSs of ILt. hrrl: amotA.r a wearines, of the hstrp, a third will protect uU
 irritatrd r1rn. and a fourth will rc
 irye the i.1amnl ball of tae foot Al Ihe same time that thu soldier is taught these different methods Of ! wrapping the sock he aisO IcdrnS the anatomy Of the fcot. and just why the
 different wGaEriugs gri.nve the differ
 "nt foot ailments.
 After serving his two years in the army" continued the officer. the sol divr goes back to civil life and be . r0mgS. let uS SHy. a clerk at desk
 For ten years he doesn't walk mile d@y. At tue end of that time war breaks out and ne is called 70 the col Ors He goes 10 the depot of his regi
 mput uuu there finds among his other accuutremrntS two pairs of these mili
 tHry socks
 Next morning he starts to march
 with his regiment. At the end of an
 hour. when he has trumped two or
 three miles over a country road, be Is allowed ten minutes for rest. Now. the chaurpS are that that soldier has pair of very sore feet. He sits down,
 takes of his shoe, diagnoses his sore places. and. recalling his early train.