Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-01-01
EASE IN MARCHING
Foot Comfort Is Essential to the
Soldier In Warfare.
THE GERMAN MILITARY SOCK.

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. onre said taat the Anglo-Sax
olls are u wariike people. but that the
tiermnns are IA military people. The
.Anglo-Saxon fights To the death when
var comes. careless OF his previous
preparation After the war Is over he
drops his arms dismisses all thoughts
Of war froiu 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 II conflict. He takes note
of his errors in one war and when
peace comes desotes 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
problems in time of peace.
Here IL 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
or handkerchief. which was carefully
folded about il.
This he said. lis 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-P russian war of
1870. when OUT armies were making
forced marches abound Metz and on
to Sedan. our infantry was much I'm.
peded by sore feet. When 1t came to
having n certain number of men at a
certain point at a certain time for a
decisive stroke we We're usually from
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
as the val was over the government
ordered every man in the service to
turf. his attention 70 contriving a 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 years of trial this form
was chosen. Here are some of the
Ways In which it can be worn"
Thereupon the officer took the mp
kin. which was about eighteen or
twenty inches square. made of cotton
and linen and folded it about his foot
with the dizziness of a Turk winding
his turban about his head. Then. I'M
wrapping it. be folded it about his
foot in a different manner and then
In still a 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 a differ
ent purpose. One will relieve a sore-
ness of the heel: another a WEAKNESS
of the instep: a third will project an
irritated corn. and a fourth will re-
lieve the infamed 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 his two years In the
army continued the officer, the sol
der goes back to civil life and be.
comes. let us say. a clerk at a desk.
For ten years he doesn't walk a mile
Il day. AT the end Of that time war
breaks out and he Is called to the col
ors. He goes to the depot of his regi-
ment and there finds among his other
requirements W pairs OF these mill
tary socks.
Next morning he starts to march
with his regiment. AT the end of an
hour. when he has tramped two or
three miles over Il country road, he Is
allowed ten minutes for rest. Now.
the chances are that that soldier has
a 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
as to give immediate relief. When, a
few minutes later. be falls into line.
he has virtually a 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-
GUS. If getting there with the most
men first is the science of wal the
army with the German sock is at least
one-third more effective than the 9th
er."-Youth's Companion.
Submarine Ridges.
The Norwegian sea is separated