The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-09-26
AMERICAN RED CROSS
Addresses All Chapters and Mem
bers Thru The Republican

DerS lnru Inc RepuDllcan
To the Editor of The Republican.
When man is selected for military
service the immediate anxiety, the i'm
mediate concern, is his destination, his
physical welfare, his housing, feeding,
clothing and health.
The new soldier is under the direction
of the Provost Marshal Generals de-
partment from the time he is accepted
until he takes the train for the camp he
is assigned to. At that moment the
transportation department takes him IN
charge. If his journey is long one he
| travels by pullman or tourist sleeper.
Meals are provided to him along the
way at maximum cost of sixty cents.
Under a recent ruling the selected
man is Immediately given an arm-band.
This takes the place of uniform until
the time when he is equipped with one
at camp, and this arm band carries the
same authority, protection and respon-
sibility that the uniform does. The
I "Ohid nave a llSuI W llIG
him or take him prisoner, and anyone
selling him liquor would be subject to
prosecution under federal law.
Arriving at his cantonment he is as
signed to quarters, usually IN a two
story wooden building, with plenty of
air and sunlight, and with the cleanest
of fioors-floors that would meet the
old-time test "clean enough to eat
FROM" He sleeps In well ventilated
room with other soldiers, but not too
many, the number being regulated by
the cubic feet of air space in the cham
Der. The army bed is an extra width
cot with good steel springs and bedding
suited to the weather and climate; two
blankets are assigned to him. all wool
blankets, khaki color. Sometimes he
gets three and two thick comforters,
more if the weather demands.
! Layatories are located at the rear of
these quarters. with water pressure and
fixtures of design similar to that used
in the best hotels in the country, and
for every company unit there are from
four to six shower baths. Cleanliness
of person and surroundings are absolute
requirements of the United States
army. Every possible precsution is
taken by the sanitary corps to insure
that the camp conditions are 100 per
cent. sanitary.
Drainage is installed along strictly
scientific lines, and the most scientific
disposition is made of all camp sewage.
! During previous wars more men have
died from preyentable disease than from
bullet wounds. During the civil war
soldiers persisted by thousands from
typhoid, camp fever, dysentary and
kindred diseases resulting from IN
sanitary conditions about the camp
These days are gone. General Gorgas.
who made the building of the Panama
Canal possible by draining the Canal
Zone and fitting it for human habita-
ton. is in charge of army sanitation.
AS soon as the soldier is assigned to
quarters he is given the most searching
physical examination, All scientific
medical tests are applied to detect
disease. For instance, if there are in
dicatons of tubercuar infection the
patient is put under observation that
there may be no mistake IN the diagnosis.
If there is incipient trouble he is sent to
one of the army sanitorla and restored
to health. If his case is advanced he is
relieved from military service or ex-
empted until physically fit.
Besides the examining surgeon there
is the dentist. Teeth are put in good
condition here, and there are dentists
overseas to keep them in good con-
dition. Also there is an orthopedic
surgeon to examine the soldiers feet.
1t has been said that during past wars
there were more assertions from foot
trouble than all other causes lmbined.
The attention given to the selection of
shoes for the soldiers IN the American
army is a sidelight on the care we give
| our men.
When a soldier gets his first pair of
shoes he gets pair that fit his feet.
No account is taken of the size he wore
before. His feet are placed in a cum
nngly devised form where the length
and width are exactly determined. He
bears his weight on this little machine
and an officer and non-commissoned of
ficer take the size record of both feet.
his name, company and regiment are
reported and then he puts on the pair
of shoes of the size called for. But
that does not end it. There is a furth-
er DEVISE that checks on the measuring
machine and catches any human error
in recording. This is put in his shoe
and he runs down an incline of 80 de-
grees, striking his heels on the cleats
nailed to 1t. If this little machine does
not make itself felt and the shoe after
examination by an officer is found to be