Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-08-12
the AMERICAN CIRCULARS"

the AMERICAN CIRCULAR"
~tntsresting Observations upon Gas
eeldiers BY q Foreigner.
On tie trip Of this ship to Cuba no
officer or man has ever worn a tunic
excepting at guard-mounting inspec-
ton. The fifty men who went ashore
near Cabanas on May ~ and pitched
Into some 500 Spaniards left their coats
behind and fought in their blue fan
mel shirts. OF the officers some wore
a sword, some did not, though all car
ried a revolver. No orders were is
sued on the subject-it was left to In
dividual taste. have experienced
hotter days at German maneuvers than
on the coast Of Cuba during the days
we happened to be there, yet l have
never noticed any disposition in the
army Of William II. to relax the Sc
verify of service even temporarily. My
German friends sincerely believe that
the black stock and the hot tunic are
what has made PRUSSIA a strong ma
ton.
In the way Of clothing, the Ameri-
al private carries n complete change
of underdrawers, %undershirt, socks,
laced boots and uniform trousers. My
particular private was carrying a
double allowance Of socks. handker-
chiefs and underwear. He had n
toothbrush and comb. That is the
heavy marching order knapsack. For
light marching, which is the. usual a
ner, the man begins by spreading on
the ground his half tent, which is
about the size Of a travelling rug On
this he spreads his blanket, rolls it up
tightly into n long narrow sausage,
having first distributed along Its
length q pair of socks, a change of un-
derwear, and the two sticks of his one
tent pole. Then he brings the ends of
this canvas roll together, not closely,
as in the German army, but more like
the ends of n horseshoe held by n rope
which at the same time stops the ends
Of the roll tightly. When this horse
shoe is slung over the mans shoulder
it does not press uncomfortably upon
his chest. The total weight is distrib-
uted in the most convenient manner
for marching.
The packing of the mans things is
strictly according. to regulation, except
ing only the single pocket in his KNAPP
sack, where he may carry what he
chooses, as he chooses. His light can
vas haversack is much like the Eng
lsh one, and his round, rather fiat
i ev,ofnr Anc1, to ooxyoyn1 with, nonv,o IL
is made of tin, and the one l inspected
was rusty inside. 1t would he better
IL Of aluminium. In the haversack is
q pannikin with q hinged handle that
may be used as a saucepan. Over this
fits a tin plate, and when the two are
covering each other the handle of the
pannikin fits over both by way of ham
die. 1t is IN excellent arrangement,
but should be of aluminium instead Of
metal liable to rust. The most valu-
able part of this haversack is a big
tin cup that can be used for a great
variety of purposes, including cooking
coffee. 1t is hung loose at the strap Of
the haversack. OF course, each man
has knife, fork and spoon, each in a
leather case.
The cartridge belt contains 100
rounds, which are distributed all the
way round the waist, there being a
double row of them. The belt is re-
markably light, being woven all in
n operation. 1t is Of cotton and an
other material which prevents shrink
ing or loosening. The belts have stood
admirably the test put upon them for
the last six days, when it has rained
every day, on top of the ordinary heavy
moisture usual It sea in the tropics.
The test is the more interesting from
their having been previously in a very
dry country. Officers and men alike
unite in praise of this cartridge belt.
The particular private whom l was in
specting said he now carried 100 MS
easily as he formerly carried fifty.
This belt rests loosely on the hips,
without any straps over the shoulders.
1t is eminently business-like in appear.
ance. The hat is the gray felt of South
Africa, Australia, and every other part
of the world where comfort and cost
are consulted. No boots are blacked
on expeditions Of this kind. The men
who form in line for guard duty have
their tunics well brushed, but that may
be due to extraneOus assistance.
For fighting purposes, then. the
United States private has nothing to
keep clean excepting his rife and bay.
cnet. He carries no c~ontrivances for
polishing buttons, boots or the dozens
of bits of REQUIREMENT deemed essen.
tial to a good soldier in Europe. In
Spain, for instance. the private, though
he may have nothing in his haversack,
will, nevertheless, carry a clumsy out.
fit Of tools for making his uniform look
imposing.
Equal to the Occasion.
The Bektashee is an influential and
enlightened order of dervishes which
no sultan has ever been able to sup.
press. At the present time the gentle