The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-03-03
war laundry undertakes to gratuit-

ously wash and mend the under
garments of soldiers who are unable
to have this attended to by relatives
also that worn out pieces will be re-
placed free of charge.
The Swiss field post plays the role
of mediator between the soldiers
and the war laundry. The wash
which arrives in individual bags or
packages is now first Of all delivered
to the two ancient guild houses of
"Zum Mohren" and "Zu Metzgern"
where workrooms have been gener-
ously placed at the disposal of the
enterprise. A lady opens the bags
and dictates to another the name
and military grade of the sender,
also details of the contents; other
busy bees proceed with systematic
marking of each article and when
the several hundred sacks are gone
through, the entire wash is forward
ed to the professional laundry. After
two or three days it is returned in a
"rough-dried" condition and the big
work remaining is now cheerfully
attacked by the steady little army of
volunteers who could we'll specialize
as professional members.
The war laundry at Berne re-
ceives about 600 individual sacks
per week, each containing an aver
age of pieces. Provided these ship
ments arrive punctually on Satur-
day at Berne, they can be returned
to their owners in five days, |. e., on
the following Thursday. Besides
the pleasure of sometimes finding
brand new garment in place of one
conspicuous by its many defects, the
soldiers receive occasionally, as the
finances OF the war laundry permit,
a surprise, consisting of sausage,
a cake of chocolate, a bunch of cigars
cake of toilette soap, or something
to read, for the noble-hearted women
engaged in this work are endeavor-
ing to mother" their boys in the
field to the best of their ability.
Festive days, such as Christmas and
Easter are, of course. duly observed
and every protege is kindly remem-
bered.
In spite of the numerous voluntary
helpers, the maintenance of such an
establishment is connected with con-
siderable expenses and the statistical
department of the Berne war laun-
dry reports that sum of Francs
5S16 (S1163.20) was spent from
January 1 to May 81, 1915 for the
making of new garments; Francs
3415 ($6S3.) were paid to employees
and Francs 1900 (s340.) for work
done at home. The average expendi-
ture per individual sack, without re-
placing any articles, is calculated at
70 centimes GAO and with replac-
ed articles at Francs 100 (3Sc).
To insure a steady continuance of
the good work, the Secretary of the
undertaking is naturally obliged to
appeal at regular intervals to the
generosity of the people and his eff
forts in this respect are theoretically
supported by number of Swiss
journalists and the press itself, so
that the institution has always been
| %; ,Ix IF mo
and other articles are not only re-
ceived from Swiss, but also from
) foreign sources. Manufacturers and
wholesale houses are providers of an
abundance of the best material for
mems various associations of Swiss
women send cases filled with hand
made underwear and a quantity of
knitted socks, scarfs, mittens, ETC.,
come from private homes. Cash do
nations have also been made in sur
prisingly large amounts so that the
war laundry has been the recipient
of about $4,000. UP to the present.
1t can readily be imagined what
comfort the existence OF such war
laundries means to the soldier who
has nobody at home to look after
him. The multitude of grateful
Acknowledgements alone from these
men would justify the maintenance
and active support of such establish
ments and when one considers in ad-
dition the enormous hygienic value
of the work, which contributes in
great measure to the general we'll
being and efficiency of the army, it is
only to be regretted that the millions
of soldiers engaged in actual war
fare in the various theatres of war
cannot enjoy similar privileges as
have so thoughtfully been provided
for the Swiss watching at the front.
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