The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-05-26

fellows, and it costs money to fly from
this "distressful country" even in the
cheapest emigrant ships.
What the guards shall wear as uni
form and number of other details
concerning the organization seem to be
causing much concern as we'll as dis
cussion across the channel; in this
country these things are matter of
entire indifference. In late letter l
told of the proposition of the son of
Lord Ashbourne, the lord chancellor of
ireland, that the uniform should be a
kilt of saffron hue, which was, he
claims, the national dress OF the Irish
Celt down to the sixteenth century.
Leaving his knowledge aside, I may re-
peat the saffron is almost as ugly and
"beastly" a color as khaki and, there
fore, it is not likely to meet with the
favor of the guards. Besides, the adop-
ton of the kilt will meet with opposition
from the Scotch; possibly they fear
.bare-legged Paddy would prove more
attractive around Windsor castle than
bare-legged Sandy.
One Glasgow journal would put them
in breeches and scarlet tunic, but to
distinguish them from other guards
would have the tunic made with green
facings and the plume in the bearskin
of the same national color. And the
silver harp on the collar, it adds, would
replace the grenade, the star and the St.
Andrews cross of the other guard regi-
ments. The color scheme of this
Scotch editor makes him a companion
for that rebel of whom Davis sung:
"Whose eyes were hot to see the green
above the red
But it is not the uniform alone that
bothers these journalistic tailors and an
tiquarians, and suggestions have been
made that the new regiment should be
given name that would prove popular
from personal point of view-that,
for instance, the heroes with the greer,
above the red should be designated the
O'Neills or the Macmahons or the Brian
Borus, so as to give them prominence
and individuality in title equal to the
Gordons, the Camerons, the Seaforths
and other guard regiments that, be-
cause of their names, have gained a
reputation for military service far in ex-
cess of the plain truth.
AS corps d'elite attached to the
royal family it is thought it should, in
every respect, be on an equality with
other regiments of the household brig
ade. Another suggestion intended to
be extremely complimentary is that the
recruiting for the Irish guards should
be entirely confined to Celtic Catholic
Ireland, leaving Protestant Ulster out
in the cold and altogether outside OF
the area of its creation. The True Blues
of the north will not take umbrage at
this exception, for the fisherman OF
late has been, like Mickey Free, not
overzealous "to surrender his life to the
tune of fife and give up his sowl to
some illigant Tilt" for the fun and loyal
duty of slaughtering some barbarian or
burgher.
Care should also be taken, it is further
suggested by these journalistic generals
and recruiting sergeants, that the off
GERS of the Irish guards should be ex-
clusively representative of distin-
guished Irish families, while the neces-
sary cadre of noncommissioned officers
might be found in volunteers from the
royal Irish constabulary and some OF
the Irish regiments now serving in
South Africa. And in this manner it
is that our emotional friends in the land
of the predominant partner" would, as
one of them phrases it, "provide new
opening for the employment of Irish
men and furnish an exceptional and un-
expected concession to Irish preten-
sions." Truly John Bull is generous
and sympathetic hypocrite.