Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-07

the military nations of thu
world have been giving mucf
thought to the field service dress
of their troops. 1t has been
hard blow to some of the martial
loving countries to do away with
their handsome and historic uniforms
many of which have been part OF the
history of the nation and have beer
worn with honor on many a bloody
battlefield. These uniforms are known
to the people, and the appearance OF
the different regiments always called
forth enthusiastic demonstrations from
the patriotic citizens; they were
pointed at with pride, and their historic
deeds explained to the children and
foreign visitors. Still, the invention OF
long range arms and the introduction
of balloons, searchlights, high power
telescopes, etc, in modern warfare.
make it little short of murder to send
troops into action arrayed in the bright
colored uniforms and glistening metal
equipments of former times.
Some countries have preserved all
their traditional uniforms, and. though
thoroughly equipped with field service
outfits, these are never seen except the
troops are ordered on active service;
other countries have retained their old
uniforms for parade and gala occa-
sions, having their service clothes for
all work, both around barracks and on
the drill field. 1t is with the field
uniforms alone that the writer proposes
to deal.
The first requisite necessary is invisi-
bility. The material must blend as far
as possible with it's surroundings, so
that the wearer will not be in any way
a conspicuous figure. Next, the alb
sence of any bright object, either but
ton or ornament, that can in any way
catch the light. Third, the absence of
all contrasts, such as the wearing of
a black belt on a brown coat or black
shoes with yellow leggings, each OBJ
ject by it's contrast making the other
show up more clearly. 1t is in these
last two points that the new United
States army uniform is so much at
fault. With these exceptions our field
service uniform is one of the best in
the world, but those exceptions will
cause the death of many good soldier
and reveal many tactical movements
should we have 10 oppose an army
equipped with the implements of mod
t. ta-
rial as to color than our olive drab, nor
a more comfortable or useful cut than
those uniforms issued by our quarter
masters department. The campaign
hat has proved it's worth, and though
/ am not an advocate for the canvas
leggings. they harmonize with the rest
of the outfit, and, with the dark yellow
shoes, canvas belts drown for Officers)
make our men as near natural color
as is necessary for the greatest variety
of backgrounds. Why, then, has all
this been spoiled by little details that
could have been avoided without the
least trouble? The cords on the cam
paign hats may be removed in case OF
war; at present they would give a
mans position away long before the
rest of his uniform or equipment be-
came visible. Sabre scabbards make
veritable targets of their wearers, and
so many reports have been written
since the maneuvers at Manassas about
the sparkling tin cups and metal tops
to the canteens that further remarks
are unnecessary on this point.
The newest acquisition to the uni
form is the field cap, which, contrary
to all laws of field uniform. has the
greatest contrast of the whole outfit
Everything that an officer wears being
brown or olive drab. the powers that
be have put black patent leather visor
on an olive drab cap. This, coming as
1t does between the light cap and the
mans forehead, makes half moon OF
glistening (patent leather catches the
rays of the SUM black. that by its con-
trast will make a man more conspicu-
GUS than If he were clad in the old
blue. That this visor could have been
made OF brown leather, to correspond
to the general tone, has been proved
by other countries who have similar
caps for their field service outfits.
Though the field service uniforms OF
all countries would seem at first glane;
to be similar, there is a vast difference
when they are analysed, and 1t is re-
markable to see how opposite the idea,
of different nations have been as to in
visibility and service required in tn,
field. Should the United States anc