The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-11-27
The British Uniforms.

It may be mentioned that the English Army
is the most expensvely dressed of any in
Europe; this is partly consequence, no doubt,
of their system of voluntary enlistment, which
makes it necessary that the soldiers life, and
and especially his dress, should appear attrac
tive to the vagrant population from which re
cruits are mainly obtained The greater cost
illness of the cavalry uniform, and the way IN
which the troopers coat is bedizened with tag
and embroidery, would seem to indicate that
the cavalry is less popular service than tine
infantry, needing special attractions; as indeed
is only natural with an insular people, the in
closed nature of whose country affords little
scope for cavalry Operations, while that branch
seldom takes part in the isolated expeditions
to distant regions of which the military records
of the nation are mainly composed In the
British even more than in other armies, the
leading part has always been played by the in
fantry, and its triumphs have always been as
socated with the prowess of that arm. But
although the British uniform in all branches
is costly, the result to forei.n eyes is hardly
commensurate with the outlay. What these
people term "smartness' is the thing now most
aimed at in their uniforms; smartness at pres
ent taking the form of a retrenchment OF the
skirts of the tunic till hardly any skirts are
left. a thus curtailed (perkIrzte) guardsman,
his scanty coat surmounted by an enormous
shake, and his trousers tucked into gaiterS,
seen alone, as when on sentry, has very Tor
lorn and top-heavy appearance, although the
effect in the mass is well enough. But i'll un-
dress no skirts at all are worn, and smartness
takes the form of an almost indelicate tightnesS
of dress. To see one of their tall troopers-for
although compared with US the English are
small race, they have sutficiency OF tall men
wherewth to overweight their limited number
of roop-horses-wearing on the extreme edge
of his head a little cap, about as useful as the
poeket-handkerchief a lady carries at ball,
and curious instance OF survival, (Zoptttun.)
his legs incased in very tightly-strapped trou-
sers, and the upper part of his body III very
tight and very short jacket, with not pocket
big enough to hold sausage, looking alto
eether the picture of discomfort and smartness
when / see one of these long-legged giants
walking in Bloomsbury Gardens or other FASH
ionable resort for the children OF the arstocra-
CIV and the female attendants, my impulse is
always to present the poor fell, wv with petit
coat to wrap round him. Also, when dining
with the oiiicers-and on more than one occa-
sion during my visit to England have these
hospitable islanders pressed on me their good
solid food and fiery Xeres and Oporto wines i'll
their camps of Aldershot and Shorncliffe-
when have seen stout and rubicund fell
officer, whose short open "shell jacket" dis
PLAYED all the proportions of his portly frame,
methought that the long frock-coat worn by all
branches of Our own Army was both more COM
Portable and more decent, (dnStindig) But. as
/ have said, the English are an Initiative pee
pie i'll affairs military, and perhaps before long
will adopt this our good custom of coat that
really covers, as they have adopted our helmet
and many other parts of our system.-Capt
Won Schwert in Fortnightly Review.