Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-28
Use Your Old
Clothes
By Frederic ]. Haskin

The time has come when the govern
mcnt must demand of every American
man and woman the supreme sacrifice
You have been asked to give your money
To your government; Your food staples
Your fuel your lives But now, alas, yot
are asked to place your clothes -youl
nice, queer. cNtravagant and elaboratelS
decorated clothes upon the altar OF youl
country. No more can any American do
This does not mean that YOU must
immediately revert tn he fashions of the
Garden of Eden. 1t simply means that
YOU are asked TO buy as few rev clothes rs
possible especially WOODEN clothes; to
remodel your old clothes and wear them
and, if YOU cant do that TO cut them
down for Your children 50 that they, at
least, will not require new ones. he
government. through the Council ct Ma
tional Defense, requests this
All the expensive paraphcrnalia cherish
ed bv fem.ni AmcrIc the myriad
ruffics, the intricate pleats, the cloth
buttons. the pondcrous trimmings; high
heels and twelvc-inch shoes and the colorcd
handbags to match each fr0ck-wlll all
he memories of the past by next winter.
So will many fashionable features cherish
ed 10y masculine America.
ShlNtlNEH's''
Suits will bc as skimpy as modcsty
will permit Coats are TO be only thirty
inches long. based on n size Of So, a quarter
OF an inch being allowed Tor each slze
increase The number and size of pockets
are to be cut down: all side and back
straps and flaps on trousers are TO be
eliminated. and the lightweight overcoat
OF the douhle-brcastcd style Is 10 dlsap-
pear altogether Clothing manufacturers
have promised this.
Clothing manufacturers are making these
rctrenchments of their own accord, urged
bv rumors Of the appointment OF textile
adminlSt rator at " ashIngton. They have
been forced to realize that business as
usual" is an impossibihty during time OF
war. Ships. munitions. food and uniforms
and not superfluous clothes for civilians
are the needs of nation at war. and the
people must save their money to help the
government buy them. Non-essental
industries will receive every possible con-
sideration. but they must be self-effaclng
for the period Of the war.
The Presidents ''no-llmIt' army Is
putting heavy strain upon the nation $
wool resources. Millions Of uniforms must
he accumulated as fast as possible. Manu-
facturers estimate that the CIVILIAN
population must cut its wool consumption
81 per cent. but if necessary the entire
supply of wool must bc turned over 10 the
army; If necessary, every loom must be
put to work on military orders. The
cotton supply will also be severely taxed.
In Germany they are wearing paper. II
Americans do not wish 10 endure q similar
inconvenience in the future, they must
stop all waste IN textiles now.
SEEMS LITTLE DIFFERENCE.
Up until the present time, so far as our
clothes are concerned, YOU would hardly
suspect that we were at war Wages
especially the wages of skilled labor
higher than they have ever been before.
and there Is striking evidence that a large
percentage of these wages are being spent
on clothes. Women are dressing as extrav-
.gantlv as If clothes were the chief con-
Germ OF the nation. Thousands of them
NAV be seen wearing sweaters of brilliant
voolen yarn, when officials In the Quarter
masters Corpe st Washington are work
ing night and dsv 10 avoid the necessity
of further adulterstion OF wool IN the sol
dier's unif or7n. When every loom In the
country is needed to turn out the bare
necessities Of the army and the civilian
population. and when every skilled hand
Is needed in the manufacture of war ma
terials, sheer. gossamer fabrics capable OF
withstandIng no more than month
wear are displayed in department stores
a different model OF readvmade garment
hangs on every hook, and silk parasols
Of many different styles, colors and designs
NAV be found IN every department store.
Moreover, walk into your favOrite
candy store today, and you viii find shelf
upon shelf of hollow fire-crackers, Fourth
OF July favurs, wrapped IN brilliant red
silk. Here Is a glarlng example OF COZ
spicuous waste How can we, nation at
war, afford the silk for candy receptacles;
bow can we afford TO utilize skilled labor
II the manufacture OF such toys?
These are questions which the govern
ment wants Americans TO consider IN
spending their incomes. From now on,
you may believe 1t or not, shabblness
combined with neatness is going TO be the
fashion. Americans will be asked to wear
their patriotism or their sleeve, so to
speak And this time next year, it is
predicted, the elaborately dressed individ-
ual will be snubbed as q Stacker Mr..
McAdoo, Secretary of the Treasury, has
already set the fashion note for next sea
son by calling upon the American public
to patch It's pants instead of buying new
ones. Patch your pants and be a pa
triot, were the words Of Mr. McAdoo
Mr.. Bernard y. Baruch, chairman of
the war Industries board, secords this
motion. with further amendment He
proposes not only that the pants be
patched, but that they be turned inside
out and made over In the good old
DAYS, it was customary for bows and even
men TO take father hand-me-downs,