Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-07-14
ARMY'S NEW UNIFORM
OUR TWO TROPICAL CAMPAIGNS NE.
CESSlTATE RADICAL CHANGES.


Among the specifications for the
warm weather army clothes upon
which bids have been invited by the
Quartermaster-G Generals office in New
York City, the prominent and pictur-
esque item is that of trousers reaching
only to the knee, or but trife below,
says the Sun. AS the number of suits
to be contracted for is 1000 this or
der means general revival of Knick-
erbockers in the American military uni
form. The results will differ from
anything seen since the days of the
Continental army.
In practical significance the new
knickerbockers will be the first out
ward symbol of the transformation
that has taken place in the army itself.
Instead Of handful OF scouts and
frontier police there is now military
force equipped and eager for service
In any part of the globe. 1t came in
to existence with the first sudden ex
pansion of the great republic of a
hemisphe into an imperial power of
worldwide influence. In future it
may be decreased in numbers, but the
varied character of its equipment and
service will remain as long as the
Stars and Stripes are upheld in Ma
Mia Bay.
The uniform that has been ordered
for use by the regular army in warm
or tropical regions is suit of brown
canvas, plain in cut and peculiar
chiefly for its knickerbockers. The
plain jacket is distinguished for cav
airy, artillery and infantry by the use
of the respective colors, yellow, red
and buff, as facing for the pocket flaps
and shoulder flaps.
Patterned after the fighting costume
of Great Britain's soldiers in Africa
and the East, the new American uni
form preserves a Yankee individuality
by retaining the soft felt campaign
hat. The white helmet familiar in
pictures of military forces ON the up
per Nile has not been adopted. OF
the canvas knickerbockers a fair idea
is to be obtained from any of the Lon
don illustrated weeklies that picture
General Sir Herbert Kitchener Egyp-
tian campaign. Similar conditions
have evolved similar costumes for an
American army in Cuba
'More like bicycle trousers than
like the regulation long trousers"
runs the official description. A sam
pie suit is shown at the Army build.
ing.
Canvas is in ltself somewhat of a
novelty for the army, it having been
more generally used for naval uniforms.
United States troops in Texas, how
ever, as well as other parts of the
Southern frontier, have long been ac-
customed to summer uniform of
brown duck. The trousers there used
were long, while the tops of the leg
gings were eorrespondingly low. A
change to knickerbockers will involve
leggins long enough to cover the en-
tire lower leg wherever high boots are
not used.
''The burden and heat of tropical
day." remarked veteran who has
served with the army in Texas, sis
exactly what we seek to overcome by
material as light and cool as the
brown canvas of army wear.
Insect pests of the tropics consti.
tute, however, far more important
factor in determining the style of uni
form. The cut of the trousers is the
main thing. You require protection
from such pests as red bugs, ticks aud
like insects of warm climates that at.
tack you wherever you walk.
''There are times in Texas when you
cannot put your foot down upon the
grass, but that your clothing becon. es
infested with minute red bugs. The
same is true N Cuba. Swamps and
low-lands in that island abound with
the tiny mosquitoes called ieienes, and
with variety of scorpion called ala
Gran.
Protection from these pests is to
be secured only by having trousers
tight over the ankle and calf Wheth-
er this is the custom of the Spaniards
in Cuba 1 do not now recall Their
uniform, except on gala occasions, is
of canvas, however. The insurgents
wear whatever uniform they can get.
ga fine canvas suit that do happen
to know about was that used by Lieu
tenant A. S. Rowan, of the Nineteenth
Infantry, who landed in Cuba and
made the trip to the insurgent head
quarters. The suit was made in ia
maica. Brown duck was tho mater
ial, and, as usual, the trousers were
the special feature.
Lieutenant Rowan's duck trotis-
ers were long and were not unlike
riding breeches. Fitting loosely over
hip and thigh, they narrowed a. the
knee, buttoning snugly from there TO
the ankle and continuing in a strap
that bound them like CATERS over the
instep of the foot. The protection
against insect attack was thus as COM
pletc as it could be made.
'The knickerbockers ordered for
our regular army will do precisely
similar service if leggings are used
with them, and such will doubtless be
the case. Canvas or duck material
will give the necessary freedom from
heaviness and warmth, while the leg
protection will decrease the ANNOYANCE