New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-08
DEMANDS OF WAR
SCARE WOOL MEN
British Renew Outfits to
Troops Every Month,
Burning Old.
GERMANY ALREADY
FORCED TO REMILL
Year of Battle Needs Supply of
35O,0O0,OOO Sheep, and Trade
Outlook Is Serious.

English army surgeons and doctors
IN order TO prevent disease and be-
cause Of the impOssiblity of decent
washing and disinfection. have ordered
that the entire outfit of every English
soldier in active war service shall be
renewed every four weeks.
As far as has been possible. accord
ing 70 reliable reports received here
every tour weeks new socks, shoes
underwear, uniforms, overcOats and ar
ucies OF clothing worn by soldiers in
active service are given out 20 each
one. Their old garments are then
burned.
Even without such planned destruc-
ton 10 prevent disease, the life Of gar
ments of men IN active war service is
supposed 10 average less than six
weeks, according to woolen goods and
clothing authorities here who have
beel IN touch with conditions in the
present war. The waste of wool that
is occasioned thereby is appalling.
Cloth and garment manufacturers
believe that before long the search for
available wool for future needs will be
keen. Competition for supplies is ex-
pected TO reach a stage where the wool
grower will be able to name his own
prices for the clip from his sheep.
Must Clothe 10000, 900 Soldiers.
Estimates of the number of men en-
gagged IN fighting in Europe range
anywhere from 100000 to 100000
with 100000 possibly a conservative
Inquire. For these men a uniform would
take about 312 yards of cloth of prob
ably about 6l2 pounds weight, while
overcoats of the usual heavy material
would take about Az yards of cloth
weighing 10 pounds.
For this outer wear alone 16i2
pounds Of clean wool would be needed
Tor each outfit, not including the wool
used IN underwear, socks, sweaters
gloves, hats, muiilers, blankets, etc
with Just these two garments, the uni
form and overcoat for each soldier
there would be 65,000,000 pounds of
clean wool needed for the army of TO-
100000 men for one set.
II the estimate for an average use OF
six weeks for each set of garments is
correct, for just these two articles of
wear IN one year there would be more
than l,400,000,00 pounds of clean wool
needed for 100000 fighting men.
For the British army, on a four-week
renewal basis, the proportionate need
would be larger.
IL Is not known whether or not the
other cOmbatants are using the same
methods of destroying garments TO
prevent disease. but il is the belief of
wool and wOollen goods authorities
here that the Germans are probably
taking old garments and making shod-
dy out OF such parts as can be used
for respinning into woollen thread, as
they have no means of importing large
quantities of new wosl and cloth.
Need 35O,OOO,OOO Sheep.
If all possible deductions are made
from the estimates as TO the waste of
wool, the situation is still serious
one for those dependent upon wool
supplies for their own manufacturing
needs. For every pound of clean wool
that is finally turned into cloth more
than two pounds comes from the back
Of sheep. Unsecured wool, fresh from
the fleece, is about one-third dirt and
waste, and more than one-siXth Of it is
lost one way or another before 1t has
passed through all manufacturing
stages.
If 100000 men use 165, 100000
pounds of clean wool for one outfit Of
OuNft Ntdaf the ItttNt DlOhuNb NOhIh
weigh over 330,000,000 pounds. Ac-
cordng to Census Bureau figures, the
production Of grease wool in the
United States in normal years averages
about 325,000,000 pounds. In addition,
the normal imports of unsecured wool
or its equivalent averages about 20O,-
100000 pounds a year.
The census figures indicate an aver
age production for year from each
animal of about 7ls pounds of un-
secured wool. Under such a basis, for
one uniform and one Overcoat for the
lighting men of Europe, the annual
fleece production of over 100000
sheep would 6e needed, while under
the six weeks life of the uniforms and
overcoats of 100000 men within a
year the fleece from 350,000,00O sheep
would be needed.
Add to this the wool needs for minor
garments and the total war consump-
ton of wool can be family guessed at.
Woollen goods men who made the
foregoing estimates say that all such
calculations are subject to wide lati-
tude, but that no one who is familiar
with conditions in the wool trade pro-
duced by the war can overlook the
fact that there will not be enough
wool for even bare necessities of the
worlds manufacturers before long.