Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-07-29
Copyright. 1914. by A. S. Cray
THE SHOE.

/ Napoleon, PROBABLY the greatest mil
kary authority the world has pro-
duced, is quoted as stating that "An
army travels on its belly" but mod
ern military authorities have discov-
cred that an army needs feet fully as
much as food 70 be an efficient light
ing machine.
Inc records show that over $4,000
German soldiers were incapacitated
for duty during the first few weeks of
| the Franco-Prussian war on account
or injuries to the feet; and excoria-
tons of the feet figure as the cause of
one-third of all exemptions from active
service among young French soldiers
during campaign.
Under date Of February 5, 1914, the
acting surgeon general, war depart
ment Washington, D. c., writes as fol
lows:
Many examples might here be cited.
but the following instance which oc-
Cured in the experience of the shoe
board is sufficiently typical.
In 1908. battalion of United States
infantry took practise march in
shoes which the men had themselves
selected. 1t marched eight miles, went
into camp for "a hours, and then re-
turned by the same route to the post
The members of the board examined
the feet Of all the men Of the bat
talon at the end Of the first day and
on their return. On the first day 80
per cent, and on the last day 38 per
cent of the command were found to
have severe foot injuries, some re-
curing hospital treatment"
The shoe board above referred to
was board of officers of the United
| States army detailed to locate the
source of and remedy for foot trou-
bles, which have been the bane of all
armies since shoes have been worn.
The army board went at the problem
with a thoroughness never before prac-
tised in any country by the military
authorities. The feet of thousands of
men were measured, photographed,
and X-raS pictures of the bones were
taken, IN all sorts of positions and
under all kinds of conditions. And
after four years of such thorough in
vestigation the board has reported tts
remedy-a perfect fitting shoe. Sure
~, simple and fundamental solution
correct the cause and there can be
no trouble.
Secretary of War Stimson accept
the military authorities regard this
matter that the shoe recommended is
the only type which officers and en-
listed men are permitted to wear with
their uniforms.
More than rs per cent of the people
have trouble with their feet. Their
shoes don't hurt them, it's their feet"
this being one of those peculiar in
tellectual bubbles we are all guilty of
when forced to admit stupid stand
point.
The shoe is shrouded in all the pref
udice, the tradition and the mist of
antiquity, and Is therefore a subject
on which the majority are exceedingly
opintonated and touchy. The very
high heel was invented by the an
clients. They distinguished their ac-
tors who represented gods and heroes
by making them wear shoes with very
high heels and thick soles. OF course,
the women of short stature were not
long in grasping the idea, and it quick
Iy became fashionable.
The Latin races ruled the world of
fashion in the thirteenth and four
! teenth centuries In those days shoe
makers journeyed from city to city,
making their home with the noblemen
while they designed and made shoes
for the household. The artisans of
those early centuries were very skill
full. and the Italian and Spanish feet
were short, and the shoes then pro-
duced were designed and made to meet
the demands of class that neither
walked nor labored.
Pound for pound of normal body
weight, the Anglo-Saxon woman has
! approximately the same size and
shaped foot as the man, and 1T is a
long and narrow foot; but you never
would suspect 1t from the foot prints
made by the two walking side by sida
shod In the conventional shoes of the
two seyes We know something from
our recorded army experience of what
! even an approximately correct shoe
/ will do to strong, well-trained men
What is happening to millions OF
American men and women as the re-
suit OF incorrect shoeing staggers ones
imaginative powers to try to compre-
bend.
In all Industrial establishments the
records show steadily increasing per
centage of accidents hour after hour
until the noon rest Then, beginning
some below the noon maximum, the
afternoon record advances progressive
ly to the maximum for the day Obyi-
ously lack of alertness due to exhaus-
tion is responsible for this phenome-
non. How much longer will these