New-York tribune., 1917-11-27
Shivering for Amusement9
Men at Camp Funston Wear Cotton
Underclothe. and Overalls
o the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: Ny attention has been so frequently
called, since my return from Camp Funston
Kansas, to an extraordinary interview pub
| lished in The Tribune of November 10 that
! cannot refrain, in the interests OF hundrecs
Of thousands Of women all over this country
from stating my unqualified disagreement
with the conclusions reached By the Secre-
tary of War as to the reasons for knitting
woollen garments for our boys in service.
Never having seen one of our sailors IN
Mr.. Daniess famous North Sea uniform,
have not been able to judge as TO whether or
not he would run the risk of death by suffo-
cation il exhibited to an incredulous inland
public, but have seen many OF our Natiohsi
Army in Kansas and have strong convic-
ton that if Mr.. Baker could see the uniform
in which they drill, in a cutting November
wind, for hotrs OH end, he would be forced
to the conclusion that those of US who knit
Tor them are producing ian effect Tar from
psychological"
This uniform consists. in hundreds OF
cases. of suit of cotton underclothes and d
1air of cotton overslls. Nothing less and
nothing more.
When | add that an officer fully equipped
and able TO buy extra bed covering, told me
personally that, in the intense cold wave
which recently passed over the Middle West
LIE had slept in most Of his day clothes, with
his sweater under his "pyjamas,' | am Will
ing 10 leave it TO the women OF the country
TO use their judgment as to whether 1t Is
good for the women to do the knitting" or
GOOD for the men who IN many cases get'
through US their only woollen garment!
When the thousands Of sensible women
who read The Tribune every day learn
through its columns that every man who
has been called into service has been given
full equipment of warm clothing" and thai
mot a man would suffer from cold If not
sweater had been knitted" they become,
naturally, very doubtful and very ncensed
Already, I am told, the Red Cross supplies
Of knitted garments are dropping OF.
Now either these things arc true or they
arc not II they arc true, why are those
hundreds Of men performing drills on the
Kansas plains dressed in ridiculous one
piece cotton garments on the model oil
chld's sleeping suit? Why have they as
their officers inform me, cotton underclothes
under them? Why are their officers begging
for bed socks for them? For amusement?
Perhaps these men have received their
"full equipment" and prefer to give up their
hours of leave, many of them do, not be-
cause they don't care TO walk about the
neighboring towns dressed like Noahs Arh
figures but because they, too, wish to pro-
duce their psychological effects Perhaps
but doubt II.
Now, | am far from supposlng that The
Administration intends to leave their men
so obviously unclothed. Undoubtedly they
will have their full equipment in time. But,
since they have not got it yet, is it not un-
gracious in the Secretary of War TO confuse
the minds and weaken the hands Of the wom-
en- who arc doing their best to remedy the
temporary shortage?
No doubt the buildings will soon be prop
erly heated. but at present they are not, and
if the Secretary of War had to have his
clothes taken away from him, and after
cold shower bath because there no
warm water had received two cotton gsr-
ments and lived in them until such time as
his theoretical equipment should arrive,
venture TO thint that he would bless the
thousands of unknown knitters who would
ave presented him with their wool, their
ne, their energy and their patriotic affec-
ton.
If these sweaters are unnecessary, I pro-
test, as regular member of the Red Cross.
against its recent enormous purchase of such
garments lin spite of all the homemade con-
tributions). The Red Cross is the only gov
ornmental branch of service open TO women.
and the government should censurc such ar
enormous outlay
| protest. as a professional woman, at the
waste of time and technical ability spent in
writing and speaking TO raise money for
various wool funds.
I protest, as busy woman, at the absurd 4
suggestion that the uninteresting and
mechanical operation Of knitting corresponds
TO anv psychological necessity of my nature.
And in this 7 speak for hundreds Of thou
sands of others.
But if the garments are necessary. and II
the men that I sew last week were not
shiverng for their own amusement. then 7
protest. as the mother Of Wa, would
be in the National Army to-day if he were
old enough. and protest most forcibly at
the i'll considered satire which might turn !
even one woman's hand from its generous
work for the comfort Of some other woman's |
son. For I know 'h@v need that comfort.
JOSEPHINE DASKAM BACON.
New York. Nov. %. 1917.