The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-10-28
THE MARINE CORPS
HAS new UNIFORM
Forestry Cloth Takes Place of
the Tan Hitherto in Use
for Marines.

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at last has been permitted to join
with the army in the use OF the
forestry cloth for their winter uni
forms Instead of the tan uniform
which has heretofore been in vogue,
the marines will be attired in a green
ish gray cloth with the stripes of
the officers trosers and the chervvons
of the "non-coms" in the scarlet Of the
service
The experts of the navy department
have been considering this change for
some time, but it took active service
in Nicaragua to convince them that
the change was necessary. What the
army learned at San Juan Hill and
Santiago and in the PHILIPPINES the
marine corps learned in putting down
the recent disturbance in the Latin
American republic.
The chief benefit of the cloth is
that it obscures the wearer in the
field. Instead of being a glazing mark
for the rifles of the enemy he is an
inconspicious smudge on a field Of
green. The cloth Is af peculiar
greenish tint that harmonizes with
almost every sort of background that
nature can arrange.
Believes in Speed.
Nearly all American tacticions are
firm believers in the theory of quick
rush to end contest The slow bonn
bardment at long range is not to the
taste of the American fighting man.
Notwithstanding the reams of matter
printed about the impossibility Of
fighting at close quarters, the dead
illness of the modern rifle, etc, the
American soldier and marine has re-
peatedly resorted to the charge to dis
lodge his enemy.
At Santiago, when the Rough Riders
went up San Juan Hill they furnished
a splendid target to the enemy hidden
in the block houses above them. The
movements of every man as he ad-
vanced could be distinguished against
the field of brilliant, tropical green.
Those urging the introduction of the
olive-drab uniform declare that if the
American troops had not been clad
in tan their losses would have been
thirty per cent lighter.
This also held true during the Phil.
ippine instruction. True, the humble
native was not armed with the finer
implements of modern warfare, but
he, nevertheless, made heavy execu-
ton against the United States troops.
A little of this fighting convinced the
authorities of the war department
that the olive-drab uniform was worth
trying. 1t has been found altogether
satisfactory.
One officer OF the Marine Corps in
discussing the change, recently said
ut has been shown time and time
again that the marines in their work
of patrolling countries like Nicaragua,
are required to enter brisk engage
ment and thrash the trouble makers
quickly and effectively. The charge
on Parrance Hill is a good example OF
the work which the marines must do.
They cannot delay because delay pro-
longs condition of turmoil where
one good. quick victory will demolish
excessively the opposition.
KM0wing that the marines must
conefattly fate this situation hum.
unitarian precaution, if nothing else,
demands that change in the uniform
be made. The greenish uniform is the
most satisfactory where a force of
men Is sent up the side of an in
trenched hill to dislodge the enemy.
Adopt the Green.
"A tan uniform always will stand
out conspiciously-not as much, it is
true, as the old-fashioned army blue
but sufficiently to add materially to
the danger of the troops. The olive
green is the most satisfactory hue
that the officers of the country have
been able to devise
The return to the green cloth marks
a revival of the uniform of centuries
ago 1t was in the later days OF
chivalry that the archers, who could
not wear armor, were clad in the pro-
tecting green, to hide their presence
from the enemy. Then came the Ma
poleonic wars when chasseurs, uhlans
royal guards, etc, We'd with one an
other in the designing of elaborate
and conspicuous uniforms. There was
the scarlet of the Briton, the blue OF
the Prussian and the red and blue
of France.
MS same Hlduld lot gorgeous uni
forms for the field played havoc with
the Union forces in the early days
of the Civil war. Every special reg
iment of lancers, cavalry and hussars
had a particular uniform if its own
The zouaves, with their blue coats
and baggy red trousers, made finer
marks for the rifles of the southern
troops than any bulls eye target.
-, Still Has the Red.
England learned during her late
unpleasantness with the Beers that
the scarlet coat means sure death
when the enemy knows how to shoot
1t reached the point in that war where
the officers discarded their swords
thus leaving the enemy in doubt as
to whether their shots were takins
effect in the anatomy of an ordinary
private or talented young duke car
rying the commission OF a colonel
Britons have not yet adopted the
uniform of green, but it is being con
sidered by the army experts. The
Germans still hold to their brighter
uniforms for army manoeuvers, but