Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-26
Knitting for Our Sailors
Bu Freiertc J, Huskin

Washington, June 23-The comforts COM
mittee Of the United States Navy league is work,
ing to supply Our sailors, marines and cost guard
men with knitted articles to help keep them warm
while they pursue the elusive submarine As
about 100000 men are to be supplied, the help
Of women throughout the country is solicited by
the navy league .|
At the headquarters OF the comforts commit
tee at Washington show window is piled with
khaki colored bundles Of knitted articles ready
to be shipped to the marines. Inside are more
bundles, gray this time for the sailors. Each
gray bundle contains sleeveless jacket, mut.
her wristets, and helmet it represents part OF
some woman's share toward solving the war re-
lief problem. As the needs OF the marines are
somewhat different, marines package contains
a sleeveless jacket, tan linen handkerchief,
waterproof pouch and sewing kit.
Our navy has often been termed warm
weather navy, because it has spent its winters in
southern waters and its summers no farther north
than Newport or Bar Harbor. But now the
navy faces the prospect of winter in the North
sea and the North Atlantic Our heavy-hulled
batteships keep their crews warmer, but the men
on the smaller craft are feeling the chill even in
June In a letter home, an officer on destroyer
writes: II am wearing every article OF clothing
possess and the ice is caked on me.
Destroyer crews are most in need OF the warm
clothing, and have been outftted first by the
comforts committee Now our other sailors are
for an appropriation of $4, 100000 to be spent on
heavier uniforms for its men, but naval officers
state that any amount of warm clothing can al
ways be used.
Since the comforts committee campaign
started March l5 it has furnished five thousand
sets, representing a cash value OF approximately
$l3000 expended in materials Five thousand
sets among a total OF 100000 men seems small
enough at first glance; but when it is considered
that the work is In its first stages, and that women
all over the country are busy knitting, it looks
as though there might eventually be enough
jackets and helmets to go around.
Nearly every state is represented by at least
one unit. One-hundred and thirty units have
been organized in New York City alone Even
certain newsboys have found that man can knit
scarf without losing his manly dignity, and are
saving pennies to work for the cause. The sales
OF wool at the New York branch headquarters
average $1,000 day, enough wool to outfit 500
men.
| 1000 men, is assigned to state unit usually the
state for which the batteship is named. A cruiser
is assigned to city of the same name If possible,
and destroyer or submarine to any smaller unit.
For instance, the sections of the state OF Della
ware are supplying articles for the s oattleMshp
| donough, and Du Pont (Which are named for
| three Of Deleware's naval heroes), and for the
| Eagle, which was built in Delaware shipyard.
| The sections are put in touch with the vessels
| commanding officers, who name the specific ar
ticles most needed by their men.
| Any group of women or girls who wish to
| form a unit have only to write to the navy
league headquarters 1901 Sixteenth street, North
| west, Washington, D. C., stating the amount OF
work they will do in three months. The money to
| pay for materials Is collected by the group and
yarn and needles are purchased from the commit
| faa 81 Eutt dtrar furp hy
| league. In cities where the committee has branch
| headquarters instructions In knitting may be OBJ
tanned from women who offer their services as
teachers.
In every case a record is kept, showing the
| name of the purchaser, amount OF wool pur-
chased and the use to which it is to be put
This is necessary because the committee found
itself selling materials to women who had no in.
tention OF helping the sailors, but merely wished
to secure materials cheaply for private use.
| When the articles are turned in at head
quarters they are given to women who finish and
strengthen the edges. Before finished set can
be shipped it must be passed by an inspector, i
Il is not we'll enough made for the sailors, it is
ripped out and made over; if it is not made ac.
cording to the standard, 1t may be sent to man
in the mosquito feet, where there. are no rigid
regulations as to equipment. The designs OF the
comforts committee articles are approved by the
Navy department.; and for this reason the com
rnittee can send to the navy nothing but garment:
the test, it is folded into small bundle with the
jacket as wrapper for the smaller articles, ant
Is ready for shipment
Without stacking up on its main line Of work
the comforts committee is now planning to col
lect newspaper and magazine clippings for thu
navy. On battleship there is always reading
matter for the crew, but the press news il
necessarily of national rather than local interest
The idea of the committee is to supply the met
with news from home, and by careful selection
to furnish some material of interest to every maj
on board. Another plea for this particular typ
Of reading matter for the sailors is that niaga
zines and newspapers are hard to dispose of whei
man is suddenly called on duty, while an articl
clipped together can be slipped inside of bous
or pocket to be finished later. Details of the nev
plan have not been outlined, but the committe
expects to send out a pouch OF clippings eac|
week to every ship in the navy. This is phas
Of war aid to which so many people can con
tribute that the navy league feels assured OF it