El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-05-19
Bullet Proof Coats May Be -"-
Worn By Soldiers of Future Rene HA'n'
Department Inventions Protecting Sol
ders: One Inventor Allows At; Coat Works.
By
Rene Bache

material is so flexible that cit is
cIaimed) the soldier wearing such an
outfit can kneel. lie down, rise and
run, charge the trenches use me
bayonet, or throw hand-srenacess
without inDediment 20 his movements
The problem here concerned IS one
that has been giving our military au-
thorities a great deal of hard think
ing Armor is coming back there IS
not the least doubt Of that In taet,
il has already come back with the
recent return to old-ume methOds OF
fighting at close quarters Inc con-
batants III Europe are using II IN
variety of WAYS. But the puzzle Is TO
develop II in such fashion that u may
be adapted with a maximum OF e.
ficiency 10 the conditions OF modern
warfare.
Much Fighting Done With Knives
Much of the fighting today is done
with knives. The up-tO-Uate bayoner
is in effect a knife readily service
able as such. But the soldiers IN
the trenches II IS sara are nov com
monty armed with regular Dulchel
knives for handkerchief work IN
fighting of this kind. centuries ago.
protective armOr was utilized 10 great
advantage.
In the davs OF Condo. Turelne, and
Marlborough. when Flanders was
SCARED with trenches. much as II IS
to day. the trench ggers wore gro
tesque headpieces that wcighed as
much as so pounds some OF Iness
huge helmets had ridges around the
eye-holes. TO protect the eyes from
slanting shots and in the slang OF
the day We're called death s-heads."
The obvious disadvantages OF armor
is its weight. But Prof. BaShtord
Dean. cura tor OF armOr in the Metro
pOlitan museum New York;. calls
attention 10 the fact that the ordinary
equipment OF the infontrynan today
weighs nearly As much as the arnor
of a knight in the middle ages And
the modern cavalryman loads his
horse with weight hardly less 600
TO $50 pounds) than the armOred war
steed carried four centuries ago.
In those times the armOred man
was equal in fighting efficiency 10 a
good many unarmOred adVerSaries-
He had them at an enormous disad-
Vantages. because he was, relatively
speaking. invulnerabie- He could
wound or kill them, but they could
not easily hurt him. The game re-
mark applies today to the hand-to-
hand fighter clad in armOr who is op-
posed by men unprovided with such
protection
This has come to be so fully reali-
lied that all of the combatant na-
lions in Europe for some time past
have been doing their best 10 con-
trive satisfactory armOr for their
fighting men In old times the COM
mon NN4ultE CouAQ nos nave the au-
vantage OF such protection because
armor cost too much. Only rich men
could afford 1t. 4 first-class suit OF
battle clothing could not oe had for
less than the present-day equivalent
OF $4,000.
Amor Cheaper New.
Tt Is different now n armor OF
the old style were 10 become the war
fashion of today. IL would be relative
y cheap. The pieces composing il
could be stamped out by machinery;
and the suits would be incOmparably
superior, and lighter IN weight. be-
cause they would be made Of a far
better quality of steel. Harvey ized,'
or -Nrupptzed-
Thus it appears that armor. having
come back into military use. has as
sumed a function much more widely
extended. ina smuch as il Is now avail
able for the protection not only of the
officer. but OF the common soldier.
The puzzle. however, is TO adapt its
utilization TO the new conditions OF
warfare.
The problem, strictly speaking. Is
not 10 provide an armor that shall be
absolutely puncture- proof. as opposed
to rife-bullets. To possess this quality.
il would have TO be too heavy. Much
better. for practical purposes. is a
light cuirass and helmet that viii
shed bullets by CHANGING. and that
VIII turn the point Of knife or
bayOnet
For this purpose a curved metal
Continued on Next Pnge.)