Tensas gazette., 1917-12-21
,ffort. commendable as the latter
Keep Jackies Warm.

may De.
Keep Jackies Warm.
Each sailor serving in European wa
ters will have an outfit of special
clothing designed not only to keep out
the cold. but also windprOof and water
proof. Careful studies were made of
the heavier winter clothing worn by
sailors in every allied fleet, and also
the special warm adjustable garments
used by aviators flying at attitudes OF
$1,000 to 10000 feet on the western
front, so that the American sailor will
not only be as dry, warm. and COM
Portable as sailor ever was, but will
have the freedom of movement and alb
sence Of the sense of weight enjoyed
by the birdmen. The winter outfit
consists of windprOof suit with hood.
the outside of which is made of imita-
ton leather and the inside lined with
sheepskin with the wool left on. His
feet will be protected with heavy arc
tics TO be worn over ordinary shoes,
and if he serves on a destroyer these
will be replaced with heavy leather
ea-bOOts. His hands will be kept
warm with heavy wooden mittens, ana
underneath he will have heavy woolen
undershirts. drawers, socks, and finally
n thick wooden blanket overshirt with
an additional hood. This Is the stand
ard winter outfit for general use, and
every condition of service and wealth
er will be met by every type and
weight of garment designed from the
sailor working on deck in ordinary
cold climates to the special outfits for
navy aviators.
Free Of Charge.
Uncle Sam has not only adapted
every good idea In winter clothing
found in other navies, but his added
improvements to his own, and on top
of that is issuing these winter clothes
to the men free of charge for their use
as long as they are exposed to wealth
er where the regulation navy uniforms
are not adequate. Getting this winter
clothing ready in time, upon short no
tice. and the disturbed conditions of
wool supply and factory facilities
brought by the war was mans sized
job.
The navy has a clothing factory in
New York city where 1t is able to sup
DIV the fleet in ordinary times with
everything required in the way of win
ter uniforms. But when this factory
was expanded to the utmost extent 1t
could not provide emergency winter
garments for the navy in war. So a
great many contracts were placed with
outside factories for OvercOats, blue
uniforms, and special garments. Even
then there was difficulty in obtaining
materials. such as raw wool and uni
form cloth, and it required vigilant
scouting Of wool and textile experts to
dig up the supply and see that the
navy standards Of quality were ad-
hered to.
Once the navy has its clothes. 1t can
and does issue them to the fighting
men on a system that is as liberal
and flexible as any in the world.
No Red Tape About II.
There is no red tape about clothing
the fleet. The ships get their supplies
of clothing for sailors without requisi-
ton, everything being figured out for
them by quantities based on the rec
ords of the bureau of navigation with
ten per cent added on so that there
will surely be enough of everything.
With an item like mittens so per cent
surplus is furnished.
| Some idea of the magnitude Of the
navy's clothing business may be
gained from the. following contracts
awarded by the navy department since
war began:
Cotton socks (pairs) ....... .3,5O0.O .OOC
Woolen socks (pairs) ....... 100000
Shoes (pairs} .............. 100000
JERSEYS 10000
Cotton undershirts .3,OOo,OOC
NainsOOk drawers S........... i, ,4OO.Wt
Handkerchiefs .4,OOOOOt
Bath towels ........... 950OOC
Blankets ................. 100000
Heavy undershirts .......... 100000
Heavy drawers ........... 100000
| xr-..L .... d5O OO(