The sun., 1904-07-17
NOT A MILITARY COUNTRY. THIS
Uncle Sans Army and Navy Onlcers Prefer
the Plain Citizens Dress.

Although great many OF the 1000 COM
nnissioned officers of the United States army
are stationed at the ten or twelve forts,
posts and arsenals in and about this city,
and scores OF officers from neighboring
parts Of the Department Of the East from
time to time visit the headquarters on
Governors Island, an army officer in uni
form is rare sight in town.
II you lounge about the Battery you
may chance now and again to see uni
formed commissioned officer going to or
from Governors Island. II you 60 to the
wharf Of the Quartermaster' Department
at the foot OF Wall street uniformed officer
may by some accident greet your sight,
for at this wharf incoming transports ar
rive and from 1t outgoing transports sail.
But even there Uncle Sans uniform, save
on the backs of non-commissioned officers
or civil servants, is a comparatively rare
sight.
II you happen to haunt the public roads
leading to Fort Schuyler or Willets Point,
you may encounter an officer in uniform
at the head of a squad OF soldiers out for
some form OF exercise, or you may see two
or three officers riding on horseback by
way of amusement.
Within the enclosure Of any Of the forts
you will see plenty Of gold lace when officers
are on duty, but the moment an officer
makes ready to leave the reservation for
any ordinary errand not actually requir-
ing uniform he dons citizens clothes. Even
down at the big and externally gloomy
Army Building at Whitehall and Water
streets citizens dress is the rule and uni
forms are the exception.
II you step in there and take the staid
elevator to the upper part OF the building,
you'll find officerlike gentlemen who wear
may suggest the soldier underneath. and
you will hear men addressed by military
titles, but there is rarely enough gold lace
in the offices to reveal their character;
What Is true Of the army Is equally true
OF the navy. You often see Jack ashore
in his comfortable blouse and wide trousers,
for the regulations require him to travel
thus attired. But Of the several hundred
naval officers almost always In this port
one rarely shows himself in uniform to the
everyday citizen.
Dozens Of naval officers dine nightly
with friends ashore at private houses or at
public resorts, but they are never sus-
pected for what they really are, SO stu.
diously do they conform to the fashions OF
civilian dress.
When a naval paymaster visits the Sub
Treasury to draw a few thousand to pay
OF the men and officers OF a ship at the
navy yard he looks like any other gentle
man having business at the Federal Gov
plltdtc l|duh. AhACSAg
paymasters on duty OF this sort deem il
wise TO conceal their identity from possibly
evil disposed persons, and the yeoman,
who commonly accompanies paymaster
on such an errand, Is also in citizens garb.
Nothing makes the United States army
or navy officer more uncomfortable than the
attention he attracts on the streets OF New
York upon the rare occasions when duty
requires him to show himself IN uniform.
So long as he Is on parade with hundreds
Of other men in uniform, he Is not en-
barrassed, but the moment public function
OF any kind is over the officer in uniform
seeks the seclusion OF his club, and II the
club is far away he usually conceals him
self in cab while making the journey.
Alone, walking the. streets or riding
with private citizens in a public vehicle,
he Is the object of a curiosity that is pretty
sure to make him uncomfortable: The
vain youngster who by any accident Is
tempted to appear alone in uniform with
the hope Of tasting notoriety Is unlikely to
repeat the experiment, and it is the unwritten
etiquette Of mess and wardroom never
,,npecessa rily tn WEAR Uniform in public