Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 295, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1914 — IDENTIFICATION TAGS USED ON SOLDIERS [ARTICLE]

IDENTIFICATION TAGS USED ON SOLDIERS

Method of Finding Out Who Have Fallen in Battle—U. S. Has Tag in Shoulder Strap. Eveiy nation has its own particular method of identifying its dead in war times, London Tit-Bits remarks. Each English soldier has a small oblong card, which is stitched inSide the tunic. On it are entered particulars of the man’s name and regimen.t, next of kin, etc. Besides this every* article of the man’s clothing are stamped with a number which corresponds to one written opposite his name in the records. Our method is a little more elaborate than that of Germany, whose soldiers carry a metal disc bearing a number, which corresponds with a number at the German office. After a battle, numbers, not names, are telegraphed and verified. And the effectiveness of this system may be judged by the .act that after the fighting around Mertz in 1870, when the casualties exceeded 40,000, complete lists were posted in the capital two days later. The Japanese system is very similar. F'r.ch man has three discs—one round his neck, amother on his waist belt, and a third in his boot—on each of which are three numbers corresponding to the wearer’s name, corps and brigade, while the Russian soldiers, wear a numbered badge shaped like an “ikon”—sacred picture image—which is formally blessed by the priests. The U. S. government uses a simple cloth tag woven into the shoulder strap. Italy uses a small zinc plate affixed to the trousers at the waist, on which are embossed the soldier's name, place of origin, number and date of enlistment; while the Portugese cavalry soldier has a number stamped on his spurs, the infantry having a similar number on their leggings. The French, who used, little name plates, which in war with savages seemed an irresistible attraction to the enemy, now use little cards like ours; but Austria Still has an ordinary identification badge of gunmetal, in the shape of a locket, with inside all

particulars inscribed oh little parchment leaves. Turkey alone among the nations issues tn her soldiers no identification badge. Said Ed hem Pasha, when remonstrated with regarding the omission: “A dead man is of no use to the Sultan; why then trouble about him?”