Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-02-10
CLOTHING THE SOLDIER.

The ordinary citizen. who has not
had experience In military matters
n asked 10 name the principal items
Of expeuse IN maintaining an army IN
the geld. win not think Of placing
~torbss near the top OF the list. He
vstlf name ammunition first. food sec
oud and half a dozen other items De
before he considers clothes. ana ye''
Ia such a campaign as the ones no"
being carried on In Europe. the cost
OF clothes and the difficulty of provid-
fnr the millions Of men In the trench
% with raiment t. one Of the most ser
ious problems OF the var
Al the beginning OF the campaign
every soldier Is provided with full
OUTFIT OF clothes. from underwear and
sox 10 overcOat and cap and with an
extra sui. OF underwear. two extra
pairs OF sox. an extra shirt. an extra
pair Of shoes and. in the American
army. a pure wool sweater Jacket. He
Is required TO do his own washing
and 70 change his underwear at least
once a week.
Ordinarily. that Is in civilian life.
such an outfit OF clothes ought to
wear al least six months. or even
longer. Renewal OF the underwear
and sox after six months ought TO
stretch the life OF the outfit over a
year. But life in the trenches is an
entirely different matter from life in
a city. or even on a farm, and the
clothes. which would comfortably
equip a civilian half year. last hardly
one-fIsth tina; long in the field
There Is not today a single man OF
all the millions engaged in the Euro
pean war who is wearing any OF the
clothes which were issued TO him
when the war began six months ago.
Indeed Il IS doubtful II there is a |
single soldier in either army who. az
the end OF the first six weeks Of the !
war. had not exhausted every article |
OF wearing apparel he possessed at 1
the beginning for a new outfit at the ]
store.
one month IS the average life OF a /
soldiers clothing outfit in active field |
service. Some men. engaged In work /
hat Is not so severe on clothing. such /
rs garrison duty. etc. may make their
last two months. but very few
men can wear their garments longer
than that without putting to shame
the scarecrows in the fields.
Along this line an estimate OF the
amount OF wool needed TO ciothe the
men in the field will be interesting.
Il requires about 81 yards OF cloth to
make n soldiers uniform and about
~ yards to make an overcoat
about 1914 pounds OF wool are need
d to make these eight yards OF cloth.
Estimates OF the number OF men en-
aged range from 5000. 900 to 1900
90. which would make 100000 a ,
estimate That means u
you'd require $4,000. 900 pounds OF
Eooi TO make the outer garments
lone for these men. These garments
Fould wear six weeks. necessitatinE {
our renewals In the first six months 8
G lighting. requiring sso.ooo.Ooo
ounds Of wool. II
The United States. according 20 the
sporr OF the census bureau. produced
~. 0f5. 900 pounds OF unclaimed wool
4 1914. while tire total production OF
Re world amounted TO 2.ss0.sss.511
ounds At this rate the United
tate- produced less c1an one quarter ;,
ncush 10 supply the outer clothing
lone OF the confcsting European ar a
lee. while the total production OF
,e world would not NJ this rate. be O
Iuch more than sufficient 10 supply d
! the men with wooden garments OF G
] sorts the w>Aole year round. Ia