Army & Navy And Civilian Defense: Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind!

Because the U.S. soldier is just as permeable to cold as any other forked biped, the Army has taken large thought on the wherewithal he shall be clothed. Among the experts whom Lieut. Colonel Letcher O. Grice of the Quartermaster Corps has consulted on the subject has been Dr. Paul Siple, onetime Boy Scout who thrice accompanied Admiral Byrd to the Antarctic. Some of the experts’ views :

> Winter clothing must be light as well as warm. Best combination for cold weather: cotton and wool arranged in layers. The cotton breaks the wind; the wool insulates, absorbs perspiration. The Russians, who know their winter steppes, wear warmer and lighter clothes than the Germans.

> Dirty, greasy, sweat-soaked garments make the wearer not only gamey but cold.

> Skin must be kept down to 90° F, or it begins to sweat. Frozen sweat not only reduces insulation but adds as much as four pounds to a man’s shirt.

> Feet sweat in any weather. Best way to keep them warm is an Arctic sock one-half inch thick, which requires a shoe two sizes larger than usual. If feet get frozen, they should not be rubbed with snow, since frozen tissues are likely to crack and break. Best method of thawing frozen flesh is to warm it gradually without bending or chafing.

> Faces should be vizarded in helmets of windproof cloth, with holes for eyes and mouth, pads of blanket cloth for nose and cheeks.

The Army agrees with the experts that clothing must be lighter, many-layered, insulated by air spaces. The outer layer should be windproof, water-repellent, but not airtight; all outer garments should be designed to permit the escape of body moisture. The Army’s tendency is to avoid furs: certain cloths are just as warm, about one-third the price. Instead of a fur parka, the Army prefers one made of tightly woven cotton lined with alpaca, trimmed with wolverine or wolf fur. On such fur, the Army believes, the breath will not freeze. Coyote fur, hitherto regarded by Southwestern ranchers as so much predatory garbage, is now declared by the Army to be almost as good as wolf. Army cold-weather garments cannot be standardized: possible conditions are too variable.

In one of the prettiest exhibitions in Washington, Colonel Grice has arranged a company of dummies modeling all kinds of winter clothing. The Army, not yet as traveled as it expects to be, is still experimenting with what the efficient U.S. fighter may need to wear.