The Meeker herald., 1915-05-22
EASE N MARCHING
Foot Comfort is Essential to the
Soldier In Warfare.
THE GERMAN MILITARY SOCK.

esy D Feidsd About the Foot Thir-
~ Different Ways to Relieve Pain.
The famous 6eld marshal. Won
M0ltke, once said that the Anglo-sax.
ons are Q warlike people. but that the
Germans are q military people The
Anglo Saxon lights to the death when
war comes. careless Of his previous
prepa ration. After the war is ovE/hA
drops bis nrms. dismisses aiF thoughts
Of war from his mind and returns to
his civil pursuits. The German. on the
other hand. feels in time of pence as
keen an interest In war as he does In
the midst Of a conflict He takes note
Of his errors In one war and when
peace comes devotes himself to RENE
dying these errors.
German officer who was visiting
America spoke Of the way in which his
people addressed themselves to war
problems in,time of peace
Here In an excellent Illustration" he
said. and. lifting his foot. he took Oh
bis shoe. From about his foot he then
took. not the ordinary sock that men
wear elsewhere, but sort Of napkin
folded about it.
This" be said. els the German mill
tary sock. 1t ia 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 Prussian war OF
1870. when our armies were making
forced marches around Metz and on
to Sedan. our infantry was much i'm
peded by sore feet When 1t came to
having certain number OF men at a
decisive stroke we were usually from
10 to 80 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 of In
that respect as we were, but as soon
rs the war was over the government
ordered every man in the service to
turI. his attention to contriving 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 footgear. test
ed every possible kind of sock and
stocking. After yenrs of trial this form
was chosen. Hero are some of the
ways In which It can be worn.-
Thereupon the of1cer took the nap
kin. which wus about eighteen or
twenty inches square, made Of cotton
and linen and folded 1t about his foot
with the deftness of Turk winding
his turban about bis head. Then. un.
wrapping It. he folded It about his
foot In a different manner and then
10 still third way.
There are about thirty different
why's 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 mnnner Of folding it has difIer-
ent purpose. One will relieve a sore
ness Of the heel: another weariness
of the Instep; third will protect an
trritated corn. and 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 be also learns the
anatomy Of the foot. and just why the
different wrappings relieve the differ.
ent foot ailments.
AFTER serving bis two years In the
army" continued the officer. "the SOL
dier goes back to civil life and be-
comes. let us say. clerk at 4 desk.
For ten years he doesn't walk mile
II day At the end Of that time war
breaks out and he IL 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 be starts to march
with his regiment. At the end Of an
hour. when he has tramped two or
three miles over country road. be is
allowed ten minutes for rest. Now.
the chances are that that soldier has
pair Of very sore feet. He sits down.
takes OF his shoe. diagnoses his sore
places. and. recalling his early train
ing. folds his sock back on his foot so
rs to give immediate relief. When, a
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.
ous. II getting there with the most
men 6rst' ia the science Of war the
army with the German sock 10 at least
one-third more effective than the 9th
er."- Youths Companion.
Submarine Riduea.