The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-18

is pfeSiQents MdOe lHelF Hndl TepOit "
the secretary of war Dec. %. 1902 Their
Recommendations are published for the
benefit of all concerned In general orders
No. I32. sdjutsnt generals office. This
order will take effect July /. 1893 After
that date all officers and men will be re-
CURED to wear the new uniform as pre-
scribed in general order. except the officers
now serving in the Philippines and Alaska
will be permitted to wear the old uniform
during their continuance of duty there.
Many OF the changes are minor and will
not be of interest TO the general public nor
affect the National Guard. The important
changes and those that will especially af-
feet the guard noted below:
Different Kinds of Uniforms.-The board
authorized for officers the wearing of eight
different uniforms, follows: The full
dress, the dress, the white, the wooden
service. the khaki service. the special full
dress, the evening dress coat and waist
coat and the mess jacket. Brooches for
mounted officers, as well as trousers. will
be a part of the five principal uniforms.
General order No. 49, is accompanied by
a table indicating when and in what COM
bination the uniforms may be worn.
CoIors or Facings.-The board named the
following colors or facings to designate
the different corps, department or arm OF
the service: For general officers and Of
ficers of the staff corps and departments.
dark blue; for officers of engineers, scarlet
piped with white; for officers of the ord
nance department black piped with scar
let; for officers of the medical corps. ma
room; for officers of the quartermaster 5
department. buff; for cavalry. yellow; ar
tilIery. scarlet; infantry, light blue. The
board finally determined TO retain the
change made i'm the infantry facings from
white to light blue. The olive drab will be
used In the overcoat and wooden service
uniform only
Insignia-There will be no material
change in the insignia OF rank, corps. de-
partment. or arm of the service. except the
United States coat of arms will be worn
on the collar of the dress. service and white
coat.
Description of Uniforms.-The uniform
that is now called the dress uniform will
be called the full dress. The principal
changes in it are the gold leaves and gold
braid around the collar and cuffs, and the
insignia of corps. department or arm of
service around the collar and the insignia
of rank on the cuffs.
Dress Uniform.-The uniform that the
board designates as the dress uniform is
now called the undress. and the one most
commonly seen by the general public and
now worn by the Indiana National Guard.
No full dress or service uniform has ever
been issued to our guard by the State.
There will be no material changes in this
uniform. except the infantry facings will
addition of the United States coat of arms
to the collar ornaments.
The principal changes occur in the service
uniforms and the overcoats- So much has
been written and said about these changes
that many people think that we are to have
an entire change of color in our uniforms
that the army blue" around which SO
much sentiment clusters, is to be discarded
forever; that the music, I'VE Bid Farewell
to Cadet Gray and Don the Army Blue,
played by the West Point Military Academy
Band at the close of every graduating pa
rade as the cadet officers march ito the
front CENTER" would have to be metamor-
phosed into army green" Happily, this
order dispels all such illusions. The song SC
dear to all graduates will remain un-
changed to remind them of their boyhood
and this happy event in life, the blue will
continue to constitute our principal uni
forms.
The Service Observation-Disclosures in the
Spanish-American and Philippine wars with
long-range guns and smokeless powder
pointed to the necessity of adopting, fol
field service, the colors in uniform which
are invisible at the shortest distance. Actua
tests show that khaki and olive drab are
those colors; that blue can be seen farther
than any other color. even farther than red
The service uniforms are alike, and the
same for all officers. except one is of div.
.drab wooden material for the winter. tn,
other of khaki-colored khaki material fol
summer and the tropics! In consists of
blouse OF the same general appearance al
our present khaki blouse. with trousers anc
breaches to match The campaign hat OF
cap. each being as near the color OF tn,
uniform practicable. is worn with Thu
uniform. The service uniforms are the bus
iness uniforms. worn when looking for al
Indian behind a tree or a Filipino in am
bush. when invisibility is the prime requi
site. and not appearance However. tn
olive drab uniform is said to be very hand
some when properly made. These blouse
rit CLOSELY around the waist, as the bel
is worn on the outside, and are made larg
around the chest for convenience in carry
ing papers, etc., as officers In the field fire
quently have their headquarters In thei
pockets, instead of in the saddle. TIL,
United States coat of arms, the insignia q
corps. department or arm of service will
be placed on each side OF the collar. Shoul
der straps are not worn with these uni
FORMS The insignia of rank will be place,
on the shoulder loops near the sleeve. Al
buttons and insignia on these uniforms will
be of dull bronze finish.
Overcoat.-The overcoat will be similar 1,
cut and style to the present overcoat.
will be olive drab in color, with buttons Il
front instead OF fastening with braide
loops across the breast. The rank is indi
Gated by the braid on the sleeves with tn
necessary stars added for general officers
The insignia of corps. department or arm o
service Is placed on each sleeve near tn
Gun In dull bronze finish
Trousers-There is no material change 4
the cut or trousers or breeches only in tn
faeings. as indicated above
Leggings.-All leggings will be of russo
leather or brown duck for field service.
Boots--The board authorizes both tn
black and russell boot and shoe and partic
ulariy describes the kind and with wha
uniforms each will be worn.
Headgear-The general public. no doubt