The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-12
BRITISH ARMY BElRskIss.
The Imposing H-adg"sr That ConId Re
Obtained Only in America.

From ne Lond"n Dntiy 3'isBrdJh,
For more than 1870 years n tall hat Of fur" la.
been conspicuous nrtcl. of headgear in the
British Army, and 1t was with something of A
shock that people read ~ the papers the other dav
that n commute" was going Ia SIT Ia consider the
growing scarcity " the bcarskIns from which
are made the imposing full dress hat Of the foot
guards
War Office committees on rIu'hing are dreadful
things, hut those that SIT On hats are unutt.taLlr
Everybody remembers with horror the allrrrd
helmet which such n committee produced n
few years Hgu. II was - hr the unIyrr
sal head covering of the British Army, aud must
bc scrvccablc and useful The committee decided
as fTSi principle that an article possessing IL SO
two qualities must be ugly Proceeding from his
premise lhcy gave full expression Ia their dcns Of
utility, and produced a head covering the ike 81
which WAS never before seen On earth, and IL il Ia
b" h"pcd never will be again There are mem
beers "i The headquarters stan who to this day have
not quito got over the sight Of the governmental
helmet devised by the committee Fortunately
only one was made. ~ instead Of only having 10
have found itself without any army whatryrr
No regular soldier or self respecting nitinnan
volunteer Will wear anything would have put
left no service 10 wcaril
rms much IS necessary I" explain the alarm
felt the other day when II was nnununrrI tbn,
War Ollyc hraddrcss committee was nboui tn
'ampt with the guarsmcn's hcarskinS Fur
,unalry IN" committee has only limited powers
Its only function this time IL No tu speak toLnp,yl.
with radcsmcn TN" plain inr, is lint beSr
skins are growing scarce, aud the cost Of nrn
vlding the guards with their magainrrut 'lol
hat oi fur Is increasing yearly IN a rcmsrknhlr
manner only one kind II fur is used Tor ihis
pnrpoSc. II Is that produced by tn American
black bear and rs 'SuS Nmcrcanus dcsnit"
the extraordinary crrhialitN sui ~isiinr b"lwccn
tho two great branches ~ the Nngln Saxon mes
refuses 10 produce well futrad lntrgumcnt in
sufficient quantities tu cover the heads Of uIr
guardSmcn a. reasonable rate the never IN
ing resource NJ q committee has been called mo
operation
II costs, on an average II head Der annru
10 maintain thc imposing appearance Unmarried
by the hushy. The great caps cost the Govern
mcnt about CH zach, Those worn hy The Cui
streams arc n little lcss, but those for the Grcna
di"rs and the Scots Guards cost more than thnt
sum. NccOriing tothc regulations, a buShy must
last Tor eight years but there H'c several
reasons why the regulation life ~ q husky
like the regulation life Of whole lot Of other cuuip
mcnt, falls considerably short II the War ono.
span one Of the principal reasons Is tim, H."
cap ~ only home service equipment NN.n
a guards battalion IS ordered on foreign srr,ice
the big husl % stirring battle pictures tu thr
contrary notwithstanding are returned "a The
store at The i1mliCo clothing factory. They are
not kept There waiting the return ~ thcr former
owners, hut are rriSsued 10 newly Joined recruits
or 10 lAtiali"ns returning home, So that men get
what Is called part worn equipments"