The sun., 1900-08-26
ARMY OFFICERS IN CHINA.
nErICES ~ THE NATIONAL SER.
rIcJS 10 INDICATE RANK.
.u,.,rc,n, wear Bars. Leaves aud stars Brit
an, wear stars and Crowns Germans
show Rank by Difference In the Material
=, the shoulder straps-Russias Device,


n, the shoulder Straps-Russia's Device.
Io rilna lust now there are soldiers from
fsvsr than seven armies, those Of the United
state. Great Britain. Russia. France. Ger
r,ory. Irily and Japan. As much "a possible
borr.1 %; each party are kept 10 themselves,
le.t things should get mixed up. II is not
"a he imagined that there would he any great
cordnl.', between the Japanese and the Rus
.lars for instance, or between the French
and tho Germans. So tho armies live separate
And apart as the legal expression used 10 run;
and gam" only in their of hours.
urtv bc assumed that the armies are clad
rcor, ar lee, completely in khaki. Khaki IL
a gr,lt lpvcIlor, In that It makes It hard TO tell
A Field Marshal from Lieutenant except
that the knowing ono looks at tho person ap-
prosfhiug. Il he Is very very old or very young
he IS probably an American Gieutanant; II he
is not quite so old he may be a German Field
Marshal or General in some other army.
But leaving ont personal looks. how is a soldier
IN the American army in China 20 learn the
rank of a foreign ofticer approaching him7
Hhe of7cer Is a General he wants TO turn out
the guard for him; II he Is Of lower grade. he
wants 10 salute him properly. and II be is no
orloer at all. he wants to avoid the mistake
OF salu'ug 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 Leutcnants wear shoulder straps
destitute Of any rank badge whatever; the
fact that they wear shoulder straps shows
they are officers. 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 offlcer.
The other officers are marked for identfca-
1. Ill. l.
end of his shoulder straps, or one single bar
on his khaki strap. A Captain has two bars;
sMajor has a gold oak leaf at each end OF his
strap: a Lleuteuant-C Colonel has a silver leaf;
Colonel has a silver eagle on his straps, a
Brgadier General a silver star, and Major
General two silver stars.
In England the second Lieutenant has no
rank device: First Lieutenant displays one
star a Captain two stars; MAJOR has a crown
on his straps, a Lieutenant Colonel a crown
and star: a Colonel shows a crown and two
stars a Brigader-Generh a sword and baton
crossed. a Mnjor-Generl has a star above
the sword and baton. a Lleutenant-General
crown above the crossed sword and baton.
aGeneral has cross and q star above the crossed
sword aud baton. The highest officer the
British have In China now is an acting Lieutenant
General they have no officer OF higher rank
available whom they can trust.
In tho French Army rank is denoted chiefly
by the braid on the coat sleeve and on the cap.
A Second Lieutenant has a device consisting
of one braid only; First Lieutenant. one OF
two braids a Captain. one Of three; a Major
one Of four braids Five bralds of gold and
silver thread indicate a l.ieutenant-C Colonel
II they are gold only, they indicate a Colonel.
General has oak leaves ~ gold around his cap.
instead Of braid the gold braid on his arm Is in
rows. n
triangle on each arm.
Iho rank devices in the ItsllanArny are about
the same rows OF braid on the sleeve and cap |
band. No other country has shoulder strars |
such as our army wears IN armies where shoulder
straps are worn they run not across the shoul- |
der withus but from the point OF the shoulder
@ the collar along the seam. The German
and the Russian armies denote rank by the de-
vices on shoulder straps OF this kind.
In the German Army the second Lieutenant,
or Leutnant, as he il called now wears shoulder
sraps OF fat gilt or silver braid, showing the
rank is shown by the fact that he wears the
s5s3 s 3, all daSo dhS a. has da
pumber a Captain has two diamonds. AMaior's
rank Is shown by the fact that his shoulder
f fe Raa ns ar s tha we Of ff ba
regiment upon them. An Oberst-L Leutnant !
Or llrptenantIColonel has, a single diamond
These braided knots are called in the German |
Atty rdupen, or Caterpulars.
The Russian method OF indicating rank Is |
the most Complicated Of all the plans in use. |
a second Lieutenant wears shoulder straps, |
the color that 4 his regiments facingS. On |
a button at the upper end: between these |
rows two diamond-shaped ornaments, at |
equal distances from the top and bottom. The |
Lieutenant has only one diamond, near the |
upper end the stan Captain has two diamonds. |
one at each end. leaving a space between them |
iHse enough 10 put third button In. while |
The Captain of the line has no diamond at all |
IN, IS direct opposite 20 the ordinary rule. |
WmcG gives the Junior Lieutenant no device |
lu0lUAta ha M Col, nal
haS three rows Of Hat gold braid on his straps. |
anu ana displays three diamonds arranged in
" .luuid form. the base nearest 10 the point |
ol ms shoulder. A Colonel has no device at
slI on his STRAPS. which have three fiat braids
on oh Lhrn MaJor-Generai has straps covered
sohdly with braid. on which are two diamonds,
pn' above the other. Leutenant-( General
Pas Pas three diamonds. a General four diamonds.
Japan has followed the French Army chiefly
ohd Lieutenant has one row OF braid on his
Sleeves and cap; a Lieutenant. two rows; Cap
Sun three rows, Major. four: a Lieutenant
SSoionr, I'VE. A Colonel has six rows, a Major
SrnrraI. six IN double knots; Lieutenant
General, seven in double knots. General ON
a. lave goid oak leaves on their caps, Just
The shoulder. strap is the mark Of an officer.
- - rule. In khaki. however, all ranks wear il;
y seain strap. and Is used TO prevent cross
60 60 from slipping from the shoulders. ON
ooa,s shoulder straps have conventionalized
stars as in other armies. II Is likely that slight
sthanses straiss have been made IN material OF the
~
go WIN Khaki; probably in the armies where the
nta.ttd OF the straps indicates the difference
" ralh between a Second Lieutenant and a
Mi. .of the German and Russian armies for
eAHthpIe) some special device will be used
NNdl officers wear about the same rank
ue.'orS as the army; that IA, an Ensign would
wear The shoulder strap without rank device.
;n-t as IN" Second Lieutenant docs: and a Can
, ,an 'he same rank device as a Colonel. AS
cu', ~, tI9 snlor Is told from a colder by the
Tra' ol MS iib, which cannot be described here.
sr ~ our navy o1icars wear the same device as
foul anchor" ~ "P'NA'
y,ryr non-oommlssioned officers the rank de-
W. w are too numerous to mention" we have
w. uol,n or more grades in our own army, and
Wtttsuniaoly each other army has as many more
do.ag' dna' lleId Marshal Won Waldersee will wear
30 iuot appear in the books OF uniforms II
-. n..u MARSHALL Lord Roberts in Africa is auy
In hs viii be abb 1t the plainest-clad man