National Affairs: Borrowed Eyes

When the U. S. Navy, greatly increased in numbers of ships & men, was hurriedly preparing for the War, sextants, binoculars, telescopes were almost a German manufacturing monopoly. The supply in the U. S. was limited. Yet the new ships & men could not go to sea without eye-extensions. Knowing that many a German lens lay unused in U. S. private homes, the Navy Department launched a big advertising campaign, begged U. S. citizens to lend "eyes for the Navy." Thereupon 52,000 sextants, binoculars, telescopes were received at Washington, were distributed among the...

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