The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-10
PAGES II TO 20.

the Egyptian uniform Went into the
war department, where he had been sum
moned about a detail and while he was
waiting he was greeted by another officer,
who said:
Seen the new uniform?''
mo" said the other. rs 1t here?"
Eyes; come along and see il; it is great,'s
remarked the first, leading the way
They reached 1t, and the second officer
looked aud said:
Why, that is mine: my Egyptian OUT
Mt"
IL was news to the first, who congrat-
ulted him warmly, and told him that 1t
had been accepted with only two trifiaG
notifications; the trousers were to be long
and officers We're to have stripes on them
of the color of the army of the service
to which they belong-red for artillery;
yellow, for cavalry, and dark blue instead
of white for the infantry. The fields OF
the straps are to correspond. Personally,
the original designer deprecates the change e.
because he says the colors win not bear
washing, and will make the uniforms
look old and seedy when without they
would be quite fresh, but officially he, Of
course, is gratifed.
Then he concluded that he would like
to have his own back, so he filed a re-
quest and waited. Hes waited until Re
was obliged TO leave Washington and
report for duty. and he departed without
1t. Some weeks later he got more leave,
anu went dSdAH 10 tuG department. IN
the meantime he had written and tele-
graphcd. Again he requested and watt
ed, and finally was told Il would be re-
turned to him that day. He went back
TO his hotel and then started north TO
pay some visits, certain of finding the
uniform on his return. When he came
back the clerk told him that a parcel
had come for him from the war depart
ment and half an hour afterward an
other official messenger had come and
demanded IL back again.
and / knew you were I'm the army"
said the clerk, land let 1t GO"
The officer said nothing for what ne
thought would not have sounded well.
However, before ne left Washington the
trousers were returned to him. and after
several more wires on his part ne has
the blouse too now The uniform had
been ripped 10 find out about the seams
and handled and generally shop worn,
but he means to have 1t put In order and
wear it into Cuba.
The delay In issuing the uniforms
10 the army Is due to the fact that wnen
the orders were placed It was found that
there We're only thirty yards of the orig
inal Egyptian fibre in this country. II
took some time to discover that and TO
substitute another light material like
Egyptian cotton.
The inventor of the uniform was de-
tailed by the government to join the
ing Of 1t recently he commented upon the
effect of hearing THE Star Spangled Ban
ner" unexpectedly In a foreign country.
Nothing, except fighting for it, makes
you realize what your flag really Is to
YOU like seeing 1t Unexpectedly in a for
eign land, of having 1t suddenly brought
before you" he said, and l shall never
forget an experience ! had out in China.
The Japanese had just won a tremend-
Gus victory q was attached to the COM
handing generals staff, you know and
had seized a Chinese town, and to celo-
brate It the general issued invitations for
an enormous reception to be held In the
grounds Of the Chinese temple. He was
to receive at p. M, and that morning
five other foreign officers and myself went
over to an island In a torpedo boat to
Inspect the captured Notifications. We ex-
est; but instead it was a nasty raw day,
blowing a gale, and the torpedo boat
couldn't make a landing for hours, so
when we finally got back TO the town 1t
was p. M
1--WE had had nothing to eat all day,
except that an some extraordinary way
/ had two pieces of crackers in my pocket
and two bits of sugar, and those | had
divided with an English officer. We were
cold and hungry and tired, but when we
landed we went straight TO the temple
and found the reception in full swing.
japanese officers from miles around had
come In for it; there were hundreds of
them there and a din of voices that had
drowned out the military band stationed
over at one corner so they had entirely
given up playing. Saki had been flowing
rather plenteously during the afternoon.
and everybody was in holiday humor, and
We were taken al once to raised plat
form where luncheon was being served,
and the first thing they gave us was
champagne in tumblers. We were thirsty
enough TO drink it like water and we ate
az though we were starved, while down
on the grounds the hum of voices made
an almost deafening din.
Suddenly, while were still on the
platform land there was one other Ameri-
can officer beside MYSELF the band broke
into the Star Spangled Banner and the
instant the first notes sounded each one
of those hundreds of officers turned sharp
~ facing us, with their heels close to-
gether, and raised his hand to his helmet
In the position of a salute. And there
were hundreds of them, you know. Wen,
/ give you my word l never was so aft
fected before In my life
IAN instant before home had seemed
millions of miles Off and then all Of a
sudden we seemed to see our own nag
waving, the flag that only two Of us there
could pay allegiance to, but that every
one of them showed his respect for. Ii
was an experience, / can tell you! They
all stood with their hands at their helmets
until the last notes were played, and then
they swept US salute, and, by Jovel
thrilled 10 the last fibre of me-
"A pleasant thing happened in a Wash
fngton theater within three weeks" he
same officer went on reminiscing Dur
ing an entr acte the orchestra played the
usual medley Of national airs and finished
off with the star Spanglsd Banner and
when that was played not more than half
of the audience stood. Among them there
was an old army officer in uniform. Capt.
Wilkinson of the Third Infantry, and he
got hot when the audience did not rise
en- masse. He served all during the civil
war has a fine record, and was wounded,
but not so as to be permanently disabled.
Then he fought Indians afterward, ard
he's an old campaigner who loves his flag
10 the last drop of blood IN his body.
He was distinctly dspleased when lie
saw some people sitting while the Star
e,..nnnlud Rannar, nlaNed on hut NJ The