Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-03-25
GOT GERMAN BOOTS
French Soldiers Made Requisi-
tons on the Enemy.
Equipment Of the Kaiser's Troops Is
Highly Priced by the Men Who
Are Fighting the Battles
of France.

Near Battle Front in France, FEB. 4.
"A corporal, quite a young chap-he
could not have been more than nine
teen-crawled up to the officer and
asked: Pardon, lieutenant; several of
the men most respectfully ask wheth-
er they might not have another pair OF
shoes. Most of ours are in a very bad
condition"
1t seemed a strange request in this
place, and the lieutenant exclaimed:
"Sapristi, Jansen, do the men think
that l am carrying boots about in my
knapsack? What, in heavens name,
do they mean?"
"Ah, lieutenant" quietly replied the
corporal, there are plenty of good
boots over there" and he pointed e
the trenches. Following the direction
he indicated, we saw at a distance OF
about 200 to 300 feet in front Of our
trenches some fifty or sixty dead Ger
mans.
The lieutenant shrugged his shout
ders. 81 can't give them permission to
leave the trenches, you know" he told
the corporal, but if they want some
more chances of risking their necks,
well'-and at that he turned his back
to the men. The corporal understood.
A few minutes later n man got up
slowly, carefully, and peeped over the
trench, first with one eye, then with
both, then with his whole head. | fol
lowed every movement with breath
less interest. Now he takes his rifle,
pushes it ahead of him over the trench
and on all fours crawls to the top, over
and down on the other side. He slings
his rife over his shoulder and, still on
all tours and on his stomach, ad
vances.
The Belgian soldier at that moment
recalled the East to me. 1t reminded
me of a morning in Java some years
ago when I had watched a tiger crawl
: ing on his belly stalking his prey-s
young calf.
Before he had gone half way three
of his comrades, inspired by his Draw
example, followed him, all in the SAM
careful manner. Before long a dozel
I men were in front. They reached tn
Germans, most of whom were lynn
face downward. Quickly they wer
turned over on their backs and thei
boots unstrapped.
Then, instead of returning with thei
'" booty, they sat down among the deat
proceeded to take their own shoes o.
: and tried those of the Germans on. W
could see shoes flying around in tn
! air and hear a laugh and a joke.
= was the most absurd, yet, c~onsiderin
- the conditions, the surroundings, tn
most dramatic scene imaginable.
. Think that few dead Germans WEI
left with any boots, and when the me
!, returned to the trenches the spar
- ones were exchanged for a cigarette,
n pipe of tobacco, a lump of bread, {
wen a button.
And the lieutenant looked at h
g own hard, wornout boots and sighed
81 wouldn't mind a bit to get a pair
those German boots myself. They al
. perfect" He called over one of h
men and showed us. Between eat
layer of leather was a strip of rubbe
q and the seams were all covered wit
10 waterproof material al well. TT
leather was as soft as kid.
a. ut is wonderful how thoroughly &c
~ many was prepared for war;" the OF
- Ger continued, 'if one is to Judge
the complete manne in which ea'
IS soldier is fitted out. Every one has b
u own small tent, which he a u
either alone or in connection with fl
u others. Their pocket knives are
u small outfit in themselves. They ha
a spoon, fork, knife, scissors, wire CT
tiers and every possible utensil imagi
VI able that may be useful in the field