The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1915-01-16
EASE IN MARCHING
Foot Comfort Is Essential to the
Soldier In Warfare.
THE GERMAN MILITARY SOCK.
IL Is In the Form of Large Napkin
Is the Result of Years of Study anc
May Be Folded About the Foot ThIr
~ Different Ways to Relieve Pain.

~ Different Ways to Relieve PAIN.
The famous field marshal, Won
Moltke. once said that the Anglo-Sax
ons are warlike people. but that til,
Germans are a military people Tue
Anglo-SaxOn fights to the death wheu
war comes. careless OF his previous
preparation. After the war Is over hr
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 be does il,
the midst of conflict He takes note
or 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
problems In time of peace
Here iS an excellent illuStrs tiOn." he
said. and. lifting his foot. be took of
h1s shoe. From about his foot he then
took. not the ordinary sock that men
wear elsewhere. but sort OF napkin
folded about it.
This" he said. lis the German min
tary sock. Ii 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-Prussian war OF
1870. when our armies were making
forced marches around Metz and on
to Sedan. our infantry was much Inn
peded by sore feet. When it came to
having a certain number of men at a
certain point at certain time for
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
as the war was over the government
ordered every man In the service to
turI. his attention to contriving a form
of footwear that would be more serv
dceable 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 worm"
Thereupon the officer took the nap
ain. which was about eighteen or
4wenty inches square. made Of cotton
and linen and folded it about his foot
with the deftness of Turk winding
his turban about his head. Then, un
wrapping 1t. he folded it about his
foot in a different manner and then
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 1t has differ
ent purpose. One will relieve sore
ness OF the heel; another WEAKNESS
of the instep; a third will protect an
irritated corn, and a fourth will re-
lleve the infamed ball of the foot At
the same time that the soldier is
taught these different methods or
wrapping the sock he 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
dier goes back to civil life and be
comes. let us say, clerk at desk
For ten years he doesn't walk mile
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
accOutrements two pairs or 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 a country road. he is
allowed ten minutes for rest Now.
the chances are that that soldier has
pair of very sore feet. He sits down.
takes off his shoe, diagnoses his sore
places. and, recalling his early train
ang. folds his sock back on his foot so
as to give immediate relief When, a
few minutes later. he falls into line.
ne has virtually a new pair of feet.
And this he does just as often as new
foot troubles appear
1.-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 first is the science of war the
army with the German sock is at least
one-third more effective than the 9TH
er."-Youth's Companion.
Last Wish Of Poet.
i wish to lie on the north side Of
the churchyard about the middle Of
the ground, where the morning and
evening sun can Hnger the longest on
my grave l wish to have a rough.