Evening star., 1942-11-06
Winter Ends Mud
In Alaska; Troops
Get WarInest Clothes
Woolen Underwear, Heavy
Enough to Stond Alone, !
Part Of Equipment i
BY the Associated press.

BY the Associated PresS. ~
HEADQUARTERS, ALASKA DE-
TENSE COMMAND, Nov. 6.-1his
is the season In Alaska when the
Army abandons the routes It used
al summer and begins using tho;e
which were impossible couple Of
weeks ago.
The beginning Of winter, pecu-
liarly enough, does not automat-
ically immobilize anything in this
Northern war theater. Not tanks,
not airplanes, not footsoldiers. In
fact, the foot soldiers are signing
with relief at the end of the mud
which has oozed under their boots
for the last seven months.
Alaska Is one Of the wettest spots
in North America. Much of the
great territory is swamp-dotted
with lakes, criss-crossed with water
courses which have hard time de-
Gliding whether to be sloughs or
rivers. steaming when the sun shines
and continually soggy when 1t Is not
frozen.
It's q local superstition that the
city of Fairbanks would disappear
entirely into the mire II the muskeg
underneath 1t ever thawed out COM
pletely. Soldiers who have battled
stuck trucks and foundefed cater
pillars all summer believe the story
implicitly. .a
"Winter Trails" Become Passable.
The Alaska highway. connecting
link with the United States proper,
will doubtless be much easier to
keep open this winter than in the
spring. So will a thousand military
cowpaths all over the northern part
of the territory. Those little dots
which on many maps Of Alaska are
marked as winter trails" come into
their own now
All Is not simple, of course. Frost
oozes out Of the ground all winter.
Not only must railroad tracks be
kept free OF snow, but crews must
battle against ice that rises liter
ally out of the earth beneath the
rails. Water systems freeze-the
city Of Fairbanks keeps its sewer
system operating with an electric
wire running through the pipes to
warm them.
Airplanes operated all the year
around in Alaska even before the
war.
The tractor train was the first
competitor Of the dog sled in these
parts. Now tractor trains, pulled
by huge caterpillars and including
caterpillar trailers, are ready to be-
gin hauling supplies to some re-
mote Army outposts.
Clothing Of Best Wool.
So far As clothing and equipment
IL concerned, no army on earth can
spit In the teeth of a blizzard with
more assurance than this one.
Consider Joe Doakes, private His
clothing issue begins with wool un-
dsewear, In several weights. If Joe
Is going to spend the winter in one
Of the really cold places, say where
4 Thermometer is no good If it
won't register 80 below, his under
wear Is 4 woody suit Of armor that
will practically stand up in the
corner by itself. Joe also has as
many wool socks rs he can handle,
enough 50 that he can, If he likes,
wear two or three pairs at a time.
His winter issue uniform itself is
all wool-good wool. not the short
fi5er stun Of which most armies
make uniforms-and heavy. He
has general issue shoes with an
extra rubber sole underneath the
leather. He also has high, oiled
leather boots that are almost en-
tireiy waterproof, overshoes with a
half dozen buckles. and heavy shoe
pacs, those rubber footed, leather
topped combinations without which
no Maine man or sourdough feels
well dressed.
Joe also has, If he needs them,
snowshoes or skis. complete with
excellent bindings and good poles.
Joe's gloves are woolen with cuffs
that reach half way to his elbows
He has = soft wool scarf that is II
inches wide and will wind three
times around a size Is neck without
stretching. His caps are several
the usual garrison and field caps,
also q knitted affair which comes
clear down around his neck with
only q hole left for his face.
Fur-Lined Ear Muffs.
If that is not enough, he has 4
sweater which would have delighted
l grandpa's heart. It's turtle neck will