The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-02-16
MARCHING CT &c TROOPS
Caring For the Feet of an Army
Is a Vital Matter.
AS IMPORTANT AS FIT FOOD.

The care of soldiers feet il one OF
| the important things In war. A soldier
| Is no better than his feet. Many things
enter into the sum total of military eff
ficiency, but two Of the great factors
making for efficiency in troops are
craftsmanship and marching power.
Infantry that cannot march would be
as unfit as infantry that could not
shoot 1t may be because of the I'M
portance of the feet in infantry TINT
the men OF that branch OF the service
nre called foot troops. Infantry
without good feet would be more use
less than cavalry without mounts. ar
lilIery without cannon or 4 flying corps
without an aeropane.
Napoleon has been credited with say
Ing that an army marches upon its
stomach, which. of course. Is true as
far as 1t goes. Soldiers TO bring or
maintain their efficiency at.the highest
point must he adequately fed. and n
world OF endeavor has been put forth
by brainy men to insure the proSer
supply OF food 10 put into the ration
the constituents needed by the human
system aud TO have the food well cook
ed But 1t is just as true. flguratively
Us we'll rs literally. that an army
marches OH its feet.
When Il recruit or n prospective re-
cruit comes up for his physical exam
nation the examining surgeon gives
just about as much attention 10 the
applicants feet rs 10 his lungs. heart
kidneys. teeth vision and herring. lie
will not pass Il mnn with fat feet. be-
cause that man could not march. lie
will insist on n certain amount OF arch
to the foot. Too high an arch. which.
however. is rare in men. would result
IN his rejection, Any defect in the feet
which would initiate agaipst his en-
tlnrance ON The march would be cause
tor rejection OF the man.
With the recognition Of the impof-
tance Of the soldiesS foot came long
and earnest study ana experimentation
with the soldiers sock aud his shoe.
The sock question was soon satisfar-
torily adjusted Tho necessity OF fire.
uncnt bathing OF the feet. especially on
the march. was early determined OH.
-aDd WOODEN socks. light or heavy. nc
t6rdlng To the season. were decided on
FOR marching men, Fresh and clean
cocks are insisted ON. and sock with
hole in IL or sock that has been
darned Is not 10 be worn At least that
is the idea as developed in The .iiner-
can military service. In the matter of
the mt OF Il soldiers socks ii is pre-
scribed in regulations that the socks
will be large enough TO permit free
movement Of the toes. but not SO loose
rs TO permit of wrinkling."
When 1t came down TO the study OF
The shoe the military men had a seri-
Gus problem which it is believed in
this country 10 have been correctly
solved and with the result that the
men of the American army are the |
best sbod troops in the world. The
cost OF the United States army shoe.
garrison or marching, is in ronnd zig
ures 50, and so popular is ii with the
men of the army that they rarely buy |
pair of private shoes for use when |
absent from post on pass or on fur |
Tough. The quartermaster shoe of the |
present day is considered an excellent |
specimen of the shoemakcr's art and |
ia vastly different in fit and finish from
the army shoe of a generation ago.
In those states where these shoes |
are issued by the national government |
10 the organized militia il is one OF the |
perpleSitlcs of the national guard Of |
ticcrs TO keep their men from wearing |
The shoes in civil life
Before The foot and shoe fit question |
came under the study Of men concern |
ed with the efficiency OF trooPs there
WAS always Il great deal OF foot sore
ness among the soldiers on the march. |
This trouble was always severe and |
among new troops and |
among old troops with new shoes. |
The old idea was 10 equip Il soldier |
with pair of shoes that would wear
long. The stoutness and durability of |
the shoe was the main consideration.
There was very little consideration for
the foot that went inside the shoe. lei
The shoe was large enough and NOT !
very much too large for the man The
matter was thought to he settled. Foot
trouble among regular troops Oh the
march has been greatly reduced, but
OF eolirse has not been eliminated.
Probably that ideal never will he at.
tanned.
a soldiers marching efficiency de-
Ponds not alone on he size or what Is
commonly called the at of the shoe.
bat OF, the shape. II has been said
that Or. Herman Meyer was the first
to Formulate the theory that the great
toe must lie in such a position that
lis axis when carried backward shall
pass through the center of the heel
The foot is lever OF the second Glass;
the fnlcrum is ut the ball and greut toe
md power at the heel. which Is trans
lnitted through the tendo-Achilles from
The calf muscles and the weight of the
body between. This lever Is the prime
factor IN walking or marching. The
leg and body muscles balance the load
Or shift the levers. which are the feet
washington Star.