The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-09-09
EASE IN MARCHING
Foot Comfort Is Essential to the
Soldier In Warfare.


1t Is In the Form of a Large Napkin.
Is the Result of Years of Study and
May Be Folded About the Foot Thir.
ty Different Ways to Relieve Pain.
The famous field marshal, Won
Moltke. once said that the Anglo-Sax.
ons are warlike people. but that the
Germans are Il military people. The
Anglo-Saxon fights to the death when
war comes. careless of his previous
preparation. After the war is over he
drops his arms. dismisses all thoughts
of war from his mind and returns to
his civil pursuits The German. on the
other hand, feels in time of peace as
keen an interest in war as he does in
the midst of conflict. He takes note
Of his errors in one war and when
peace comes devOtes himself to rene
dying these errors.
A German officer who was visiting
America spoke of the way in which his
people addressed themselves to war
probIeus in time of peace.
Here is an excellent illustration" he
said. and. lifting his foot. he took off
his shoe. FROM about his foot he then
took. not the ordinary sock that men
wear elsewhere, but II sort of napkin
or handkerchief. which was carefully
folded about it.
This" he said. us the German mill
tary sock. 1t is the result of years of
study and experiment By the best
minds. not only in the German army
but In German science and medicine.
During the Franco PruSSi;.n war of
1870. when our armies were making
forced marches around Metz and Oh
to Sedan. our infantry was much i'm
peded by sore feet When it came to
having Il certain number OF men at Il
certain point ut a certain time for a
decisive stroke we were usually from
10 to 30 per cent short. because so
many men had fallen out of the ranks
from sore feet.
I'VE got through the war all right.
for our enemies were as badly off in
that respect as we were. but as soon
rs the war was over the government
ordered every man in the service to
tllrI. his attention to contriying ii form
of footwear that would be more serv-
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 in
experimenting. Thousands of soldiers
marched in all kinds Of footsear. 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. it can be worn"
Thereupon the officer took the nap.
kin. which was about eighteen OF
twenty inches square. made of cotton
and linen and folded it about his foo,
with the dizziness of Turk winding
| his turban about his head. Then. I'M
wrapping it. he folded it about his
foot in different manner and ther
in still third way
There are about thirty different
| ways of folding this sock about the
| foot" he said. land during his three
years in the army the soldier is taught
| to become expert in using them all
Each manner of folding it has differ
| ent purpose. One will relieve a sore
ness of the heel; another IL WEAKNESS
| of the instep: a third will protect al
irritated corn. and a fourth will re
lieve the inflamed ball of the foot. A
the same time that the soldier Is
taught these different methods OF
wrapping the sock he also learns thu
anatomy Of the foot. and just why tn,
different wrappings relieve the differ
ent foot ailments.
| After serving his two years in tn,
army" continued the officer. the sol
dier goes back to civil life and be
comes. let us say. a clerk at desk
For ten years he doesn't walk mil,
IL day. At the end of that time wa
breaks out and he is called to the col
ors. he goes to the depot Of his regl
| ment and there finds among his othe
Announcements two pairs of these mill
| tary socks.
Next morning he starts to marcel
l
hour. when be has tramped two o
three miles over a country road. he i
allowed ten minutes for rest Now
the chances are that that soldier hal
Il pair of very sore feet. He sits down
takes off his shoe. diagnoses his sor
places. and. recalling his early train
ing. folds his sock back on his foot 8
us to give immediate relief. When,
few minutes later. he falls into line
he has virtually Il new pair of feet
And this he does just as often as new
foot troubles appear
THE tremendous advantage that al
army thus equipped has over one tina
wears the old fashioned sock is obvi
GUS. Ii getting there with the mos
men first is the science of war til
army with the German sock is at leas
one-third more effective than the 9th
er."-Youth's Companion.