The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-24
ARMY OFFICERS IN CHINA.
DEVICES IN THE NATIONAL sERv-
ICES TO INDICATE RANK.
stars, Britains Wear stars and
Crowns. Germans show Rank by
Difference of the shoulder straps.

"
AS much as possible the men of each
party are kept to themselves. lest things
should get MIXED mp. 1t Is not TO 10
imagined that there would be any great
cordially between the Japanese and the
Russians, for instance. or between the
French and the Germans. So the armies
live separate and apart, as the legal ex-
preston used to run: and gam" only
in their of hours.
IT may be assumed that the armies are
clad more or less completely in khaki
Khaki is n great leveier. IN that II makes
II hard TO tell a field marshal from lieu
tenant-except that the knowing one looks
az the person approaching; n he ia very.
very old or very young he Is probably an
American lieutenant: II he IS not quite
so old he may be German field mar
shall or a general In some other army.
But leaving out personal looks. how is
a soldier in the American army in China
10 learn the rank Of a foreign officer ap-
preaching him. II the officer Is a gem
eral, he wants to turn out the guard for
him: II ne IS Of lower grade he wants TO
salute him properly. and II he is no Off,
Ger at all. he wants 10 avoid the mistake
OF saluting him.
The badges that indicate rank In our
army are few enough and applied more
simply than such devices are applied in
foreign armies. Our second lieutenants
wear shoulder straps destitute Of any
rank badge whatever. the fact that they
wear shoulder straps shows they are offi-
GERS. In khaki uniform the straps run
up and down the shoulder and have the
United States coat of arms on them. This
coat Of arms Is the mark OF an officer.
The other officers are marked for iden-
tification thus: A lieutenant has silver
bar at each end of his shoulder straps,
or one single bar on his khaki strap. a
captain has two bars: a major has gold
oak leaf AT each end OF his strap; a leu
tenant colonel has silver leaf; colonel
has a silver eagle on his straps. a brig
adler general a silver star, and "A major
general two silver stars.
In England the second lieutenant has
no rank device; first lieutenant displays
one star. captain two stars; a major
a crown and a star: colonel shows n
crown and two stars; hrisadier general
a sword and baton crossed: a major gen.
eral has star above the sword and ha-
ton. n lieutenant general a crown above
the crossed sword and baton: a general
has cross and a star above The crossed
sword and baton. The highest officer the
British have in China now IL an acting
lieutenant general: they have no officer
OF higher rank available whom they can
trust.
In the French army rank is denoted
chiefly by the braid on the coat sleeve
and on the cap. A second Lieutenant has
device consisting OF one braid only: n
first lieutenant, one OF two bratds: a cap
tain. one OF three; major, one OF four
braids. Five braids OF gold and silver
thread Indicate lieutenant colonel: IL
they are gold only, they Indicate a coll
onel A general has oak leaves In gold
around his cap, instead Of braid. the gold
braid on his arm Is In Ave rows, and
there are three silver stars In a triangle
on each arm.
The rank devices In the italian army
are about the same-rows Of braid on the
sleeve and cap band. No othef country
has shoulder straps such a. our army
wears, in asmies where shoulder straps
are worn they run not across the Shout
der, as with US. but from the point of the
shoulder to the collar. along the scam
The German and the Russian armies de-
note rank by the devices on shoulder
straps of this kind
In the German army the second leu
tenant. or ieutnsnt. as he IS called now,
wears shoulder straps ~ fat gilt or silver
braid, showing the number Of hts regl-
ment. without device: his rank IL shown
by the fact that he wears straps at all.
The ober-leutnant has a diamond
shaped device below his reeimental num-
ber; captain has two diamonds. A ma
jor's rank Is shown by the fact that his
shoulder straps are Of round gilt braid
--wha, we call here Russian knots
with the number OF the regiment upon
them. An nberst-leutnant. or leuten-
ant colonel. has single diamond below
the number. and n colonel has two dia-
monds. These braided knots are called In
the German army raupen, or caterplliara.
The Russian method Of indicating rank
Is the most complicated OF all the plans
IN use. A second iieutenan, wears shoui-
der straps the color of hls regiments fac
,nga. ON them are two rows Of fat Reid
braid and button M the upper end: he
tween these rows two diamoni-shaped or
uaments. at equal distances from the top
aud bottom The lieutenant has only the
diamond. near the upper end the stan
captain has two diamonds. one ~ each
end, leaving q space between them large
enough to put a third button IN, while
the captain % the line has no diamond al
all This ~ direct opposite 10 the osdi-
nary rule which gives the flniar l'euien-
ant no device 20 Indicate his rank The
lieutenant colonel has three rows ~ nat
gold braid on his, straps, and displays
three diamonds arranged IN a pyramidal
form the base nearest the point - his
shoulder A Colonel has no Device az OIL
On his shoulders. which have three nat
hrhias on them. major general has
straps covered solidig with braid. on
which are two Diamonds. one above the
other A lieutennn; general has three dia-
fnnnds. 4 general four diamonds iaraH
has followed she Frsuth army chiefly n
indicating the rank ~ see Officers see-
ona lieutenant hsa pne fnw - braid on his
sleeyes and cap n lieutenant tve rowe.
a capsatn three rows. "a nsSsr f0gr iieW~
tenant coianei I'VE A colonel has tx
rows. q major general six in dorhie knots
a lieutenant general seven 10 donAla
knots General nfftsrs have spie @ak
leaves on shrir Gays. ggst aa 'he Frefeh
| 50,
The shoulder strap i ne mark o. an
ssarer. &c q rifle. rs khAsi. however, al
I ranks wear "a, Y u a eeau1 strap. enA 10
,,srA - prevent cross bolts from slipping
from the shoulders Os2lecer shoulder
s,rans have cnnvsuiionsiisea eoats ~
arfns. as ia sur army. 0f crowns ~ stars.
~ ~ efhsr armies n q hkeir that slight
rsanuos have been made Ca material e
the strane. for ths RnssiaR braid straps
~an hardly g wifh KHAKI probably n