The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-12-05
EASE IN MARCHING.
Foot Comfort Is Essentiaivto the
Soldier In Warfare. (
THE GERMAN MILITARY SOCK.
IL Is In the Form Of Large Napkin,
Is the Result Of Years of Study and
May Be Folded About the Foot Thir-
ty Different Ways TO Relieve Pain.

ty Different ways to Relieve ram.
The famous field marshal, Won
Aoltke. once said that the Anglo-Sax-
ons are warlike people. but that the
Germans are military people. The
Anglo Saxon fights TO the death when
war comes, careless OF his previous
preparation. After the war Is over be
drops his arms, dismisses all thoughts
OF war from his mind and returns %
his civil pursuits. The German. on the
other hand, feels in tim III peace as
keen an interest in war rs he does IA
the midst of conflict. He takes note
OF his errors I'm one war and when
peace comes devotes himself 10 RENE
dying these errors.
A German officer who was visiting
America spoke OF the way in which his
people addressed themselves 10 war
problems in time OF peace.
Here is an excellent illustration" he
said, and lifting his foot. he took OF
his shoe. From about his foot he thea
took. not the ordinary sock that men
wear elsewhere. but sort of napkin
or handkerchief. which was carefully
folded about IL.
This" he said lis the German mill
tary sock IL Is the result OF years OF
study and experiment by the best
minds. not only in the German army,
but I'm German science and medicine.
During the -Prussian war or
1870, when our armies were making
forced marches around Metz and Ell
10 Sedan. our infantry was much i'm
peded by sore feet. When It came TO
having a certain number OF men at a
certain point Mt certain time for
decisive stroke we were usually frsm
10 10 80 per cent short, because 80
many men had fallen out OF the ranks
from sore feet.
1--WE got through the war all right
for our enemies were as badly of In
that respect ms we were. but ms soon
as the war was over the government
ordered every man In the service To
turn his attention to contriving form
OF footwear that would be more sery-
iceable TO the man of peace when sud
denly called to war. 1t was years be
fore the present sock was adopted.
Thousands OF dollars were spent I'm
experimenting. Thousands OF soldiers
marched in all kinds of footgear, test
ed 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"
Thereupon the officer took the nap
kin. which was about eighteen or
twenty inches square, made of cotton
and linen and folded 1t about his foot
with the dizziness OF Turk winding
his turban about his head. Then, I'M
wrapping IL. he folded IL about his
foot In a different manner and then
In still third way.
There are about thirty different
ways OF folding this sock about the
foot" he said. "and during his three
years in the army the soldier is taught
10 become expert In using them ALL
Each manner of folding Ii has n differ
ent purpose. One will relieve n sore
ness OF the heel; another n WEAKNESS
OF the instep: third will protect an
irritated corn. and a fourth will re-
lleve 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
anatomy 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.
der goes back TO civil life and be.
comes, let us say, n clerk at desk
For ten years he doesn't walk n mile
day. At the end OF that time war
breaks out and he Is called to the col
ors. He 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 n country road, he X
allowed ten minutes for rest. Now.
the chances are that that soldier has
a pair of very sore feet He sits down.
takes OF his shoe. diagnoses hill Sqre
places, and, recalling his early train
Ing, folds his sock back on his foot SO
as to give immediate relief. when. n
Few minutes later. he falls into line.
he has virtually new pair of feet.
And this he does just as often as new
foot troubles appear.
The tremendous advantage that an
army thus equipped has over one that
wears the old fashioned sock Is obvi.
Gus. IL getting there with the most
men first Is the science of war the
army with the German sock is Mt least
one-third more effective than the 9th.
er."-Youths Communion.