BUNNIES FOR BONNETS.
The soft felt hats which constitute the most distinctive feature of the American soldier's uniform are made from rabbit skins. Not American rabbit skins, however, for the fur of the American rabbit will not make hats. It does not possess the necessary felting properties. Consequently, the skins have to be imported, most from Australia.
It has taken 36,000,000 rabbit skins to make the hats worn by the huge United States Army. Since the war began Uncle Sam has bought 6,000,000 hats, and each hat contains the fur
of six rabbits. In other words, every American soldier is going about with half-a-dozen bunnies on the top of his head. Each hat costs the American Government 7/. This is the wholesale contract price. The ordinary retail price of similar hats is 16/. The reason why these hats are so expensive is that not only the rabbit skins but practically all the other material that goes into them is imported. Thus the raw silk for the bands comes from China. and Japan, and the shellac which stiffens the brim comes from India.
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Cromwell Argus, Volume L, Issue 2649, 24 November 1919, Page 7
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182BUNNIES FOR BONNETS. Cromwell Argus, Volume L, Issue 2649, 24 November 1919, Page 7
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