Connecticut western news., 1909-03-25
% Obe FTSf % HOoman'S $ Tn fanfry

' dS IueIl. uen uO tAC 0oAhiS NuIiCS NiO military service"
 "We are tired of hearing you men l throw this up at us whenever we de mand the right of suffrage. We t1iH i do military service. You assume that we cannot endure military hardships. 1 We can do our part-that is the light CT part. Our arms and accOuterments may be of a weight prOp0rtionate to our physique"
 Such was the reply of Mra. Susan Armstrong to the president, who in l his next message to congress transmit ted the demand. An act was intro dured creating a corps of women to serve in such places as Mrs. Arm strong had indicated. They were to be CT II. q as infantry, though the intro CucCr Of the bill disavowed any slur on the women from a double meaning Of the word If they were found effec- tive as foot soldiers corps of cavalry and one of artillery were to be added. An amendment was introduced leav- ing the selection of the uniform with the women enrolled. The first regiment of (women's) in- fantry was enrolled and instructed by the secretary of war to select its uni form, after which its officers would be appointed and its equipment furnished by the government. Eight hundred women met in council. Mrs. Arm strong was elected president, and the meeting proceeded to business. Miss Owen moved that a committee be ap- pointed to design a uniform. The mo- tion was put and carried and the com mittee appointed by the chair. It was then announced that the work had already been done, a uniform had been selected and would be presented to the meeting.
 Miss Wrinkle, chairman of the com mittee, read a description of the uni form It was to be of blue cloth, tailor made; jacket faced with vel low, skirt to fall three inches below the knee, hat of felt on wire frame crown, inverted bell shaped, four inches high, brim one yard in diame- ter ostrich feathers of suitable shades to match.
 When the description had been read the president announced that the mat ter of it's adoption was open to dis cussion.
 Miss Skinner-I should like to ask what sized hustle is to be used.
 Miss Wrinkle-There will be no bus tie. The uniform is to be for service, not ornamental.
 Miss Skinner (sharply)-H'm! With no hustle perhaps some of us may dis play figures by no means ornamental.
 Mrs. Latherly-Will the chairman of the committee please inform us if there is to be uniform hip breadth?
 Miss Wrinkle-The hips are to be the natural size. ct
 Mrs. Latherly-Mrs. President, if the hips are to be natural size 1 would suggest enlisting only women with average hips. How would the rear rank look with
 The President-The lady is out of or der. Miss Blackmorel
 Miss Blackmore-Are there to be two battalions-one of blonds, the oth- CT of brunettes? Certainly the bru- blue.
 The President-The members of the corps will wear the uniform as adopt ed.
 Miss Skinner-I should like to know, Mrs. President, if we are to be permit ted to make our figures respectable, or are we to be denied all pads?
 Miss Wrinkle-The secretary of war has estimated that our regiment can-
 
 service without a serviceable uniform. With our accouterments there will be no room for padding.
 Miss Ferguson-Does this deprive us of corsets?
 Mrs. Mathews-I wish to say right now if it does I desire my name strick- en off the rolls. 1 demand a corset, and a straight front corset.
 Mrs. Kellogg-Mrs. President, the lady is talking nonsense. How would the straight front corset with rear pro- tuberance look, should like to know? Does the lady wish something to carry a mess kit on?
 Mrs. Mathews-The vacant space un- der the rear of the corset might be used for cartridges. I'm not so i'm practical as the lady would suppose. So there!
 Miss Simper tittering)-With the straight front corset our corps would look always in the position of charge bayonet"
 For some time the wrath of various members had been gaining ground. and from this point there was q dou- ble class divergence. The fat women were ranged against the lean ones and the brunettes against the blonds. The meeting finally broke up in confusion and has not since been called together. Meanwhile the secretary of war is waiting to equip and muster in the corps.
 This split in the matter of uniform has greatly retarded the suffragette cause, which, it was hoped, the demon stration of woman's ability to do mili- tary service would greatly assist. Some prominent suffragettes are en- deavoring to discover who it was that