Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-07-07
ALL TROOPS TO De EQUIPPED
WITH STEEL, HELMETS AND
JACKETS.
WAR DEPARTMENT ASKS
FOR BIDS ON DEVICES
R.v.rs'en 70 Methods Of Medieval
Times Made Necessary by Intensity
Of Trench Warfare-Evidsnes Shows
MGny Lives Have Been Saved BY
Wearing Of Protective Equipment.
special to Times -Republican.

washington, July Tine iowa W.
tional Guard members and the civilian
youths who will be drawn to furnish
Iowa's quota IN the first draft army
Of 100000 will be equipped with special
metal helmets and body armor when
they enter the active fighting in the
European war. The war department
already has asked for bids on steel he'll
NETS, which are worn by the men In
the trenches. The metal Is shrapnel
proof, yet is made as light as possible
in order to be not uncomfortable 70
the wearer.
AS quickly as the helmets are manu-
featured and delivered, the govern
ment will let contracts for the re-
mainder of the body armor, which In
cludes shawllike coat which fits over
the shoulders and reaches to the knees
of the soldier The body armor Is
combination of thin sheets Of steel, ana
numerous layers Of silk, all encased in
a canvas or duck bag to make pene-
tration all the more difficult 1t Is
flexible in order that 1t will not In
terfere with the locomotion Of the
body.
/. The American forces now in France
have been outfitted with head and body
armor by the British government, but
the apparel will be replaced as quickly
as the American made product can be
dispatched to the front.
This reversion to the methods OF
medieval times is made necessary by
the intensity Of trench warfare of the
) present day. Instances have accumu-
lated where the wearing Of the armor
has resulted in great saving of life in
the terrific warfare that is being waged
today.
The Iowa National Guard has 2 big
feather in it's cap, as far as the opin-
ion of the militia bureau of the war
department is concerned, by intensive
recruiting that has been practiced IN
the. Hawkeye state during the past
month The Iowa National Guard
strength on June 80 was greater than
that Of Minnesota, Indiana and Mich
iyan ana ii was exceeded only by the
state Of Wisconsin. Illinois, of course,
having IN entire division, is the larg-
eat national guard state in the middle
west and can not, therefore, be COM
pared with the other middle western
states The strength Of the national
guard on June 80 in Iowa was 6,253
in the state service and 1870 in the
federal service. NJ This totals 1928! On
May 81. the authorized strength i; Of
the existing organizations then recog =
nizeds ~ the depa rtment was s,232.,
This mAkeS the Iowa National Guard
only lacking 400 men and officers to
bring the organizations up to the
strength hoped for by the war de-
partment. In the event that Iowa has
organized new units and these have;
not yet been recognized by the war
department, Of course, the figures here
given are not accurate Of the present
strength, but considering only organ
izations that have been given govern
mental recognition, the present status
Of the guard has given the militia
bureau cause of qualification at the
patriotism expressed by the young
Americans Of the commonwealth. 4
-
Ture L. B. Larson, of Sioux City, to-
day was designated by the war de-
partment rs one of the candidates
accredited to take the entrance exam
nation for West Point in March, 1918.
This Is the first Iowan to be ldesig-
mated for the new class at the army
military. school.
Miss Mary L. Macleod, dean Of the
college Of women at Cornell College at
Mount Vernon, and Miss Jessie Ryan,
Of Eldora, an instructor are visiting
IN Washington. combining sight seeing
with research work in behalf of Iowa
women.