West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-12-24
EASE IN MARCHING
Foot Comfort Is Essential to the
Soldier In Warfare.
THE GERMAN MILITARY SOCK.

l U 10 In tho Form OF a Large Napkin.
is the Result OF Years OF Study and
May De Folded About the Foot Thir.
~ Different Ways TO Relieve Pain.
The famous Held marshal. Won
Moltke. once said that the Anglo. Snx.
ons are u wnrlike people. but that the
Germans are military people. Tho
Anglo saxon lights To the death when
war comes. carclcss OF his previous
preparation After the war is over no
drops his arms. dlsmisscs all thoughts
or war from his mind aud returns to
his civil pursuits The German. ON the
other hand feels In time OF pence M
Keen mn interest i'm war ns he does I'm
'ne iildst or conflict. He takes note
OF hls errors In one war aud when
peace comes devotcs himself TO RENE
dying these errors
German officer who was visiting
America spoke ot the way In which his
people addressed themselves TO war
problems In time OF pence.
Here In nn excellent Illustration" he
said, and. lifting his foot. he took OF
hls shoe. From about his foot he then
took. not the ordinary sock that men
wear elsewhere, but sort OF napkin
or handkerchief which was carefully
folded about H.
This" he said. lis the German mill.
tnry sock II In the result OF ycars OF
study and experiment by the best
minds. not only I'm the German army.
but In German science aud medicine.
During the Franco prussinn war OF
1870. when our armies were making
Forced marches around Metz and on
To Sedan. our infantry was much i'm.
peded by sore feet when II came 10
having n certain number OF men M n
certain point nc certain time for n
decisive stroke we were usually from
Io 10 10 per cent short. because 30
many men had fallen out or the ranks
from sore feet
we got through the war all right.
Tor our enemies were as badly OF In
that respect as we were, but M soon
ms the war was over the government
ordered every man I'm the service 20
turn his attention TO contriving form
OF footwear that would be more serv.
iceable TO the man OF peace when sud
denly called To war. II was years be
fore the present sock was adopted
Thousands OF dollars were spent I'm
experimenting Thousands or soldiers
marched I'm nll kinds OF footgcar, test.
cd every possible kind OF sock and
stocking. After years OF trial this form
was chosen. Here are some OF the
ways In which IL can be worn"
Thercupon the officer took the nap.
kin. which was about eighteen or
twenty inches square. mnde OF cotton
and linen and folded II about his foot
with the deftness OF a Turk winding
his turbnn about his head. Then. un.
wrapping 1t. he folded 1t about his
foot In different manner and then
In still third way.
There are about thirty different
why's or folding this sock about the
foot" he said "and during his three
years I'm the army the soldier is taught
10 become expert I'm using them all.
Each manner Of folding II has a differ.
ent purpose. One will relieve sore
ness OF the heel; another WEAKNESS
or the instep; Il third will protect an
ir1tated corn. and fourth will re-
iievc the inflamed ball OF the foot. At
the same time that the soldier Is
taught these different methods OF
wrapping the sock he also learns the
ANTONY OF the foot. and just why the
different wrappIngs relieve the differ
ent foot ailments.
AFTER serving his two years In the
army" continued the officer. "the sol.
dier goes back TO civil life and be.
comes. let us say. a clerk at q desk.
For ten years he doesn't walk n mile
day. At the end OF that time war
breaks out aud he ~ called 10 the col.
ors. lie goes to the depot OF his regi.
ment and there finds among his other
accoutrements two pairs OF these mill.
tary socks.
Next morning he starts TO march
with his regiment. At the end of an
hour when he has tramped two or
three miles over country road. he is
allowed ten minutes for rest Now,
the chances are that that soldier has
pair OF very sore feet He sits down.
takes on his shoe. diagnoses his sore
plnces. and. recalling his early train.
Ing. folds hls sock back on his foot SO
as 10 give immediate relief. when. n
few minutes later. he falls into line.
he has virtually new pair OF feet
And this be does just as often as new
foot troubles appear
THE tremendous advantage that an
nrmy thus equipped has over one that
wears the old fashioned seek Is obvi.
Gus. IL getting there With the most
men hrst Is the science OF war the
army with the German sock Is at least
one-third more effective than the 9th.
er."-Youth's Companion