El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-07
SUN FLASHING
ON UNIFORMS
CAUSES DEATH
European Troops Rapidly
Discarding Metal Hell
NETS and Trappings.
FLASH OF SUN ON
BISCUIT TIN FATAL
RY ERNEsT SMITH.

n ARTS. France, Nov. When see
the bright sunshine breaking
- through every morning after chilly
evenings and nights, 7 wonder how
many lives it is costing. The French
are beginning to awaken to the fact
that dazzling uniform may be rather
| an expensive luxury. All the Dragons
have seen come into Paris the last
few days have had their shining brass
helmets shrouded with a loose khaki
covering.
am inclined to think that more lives
are lost in the field by neglecting little
things that matter than by any small
newspaper indiscretion which takes its
time to filter through to the enemy,
who in these days Of aeroplane scout
ing probably knows as much of moving
Of troops en- mass as our own command
ing officers.
Bright objects Draw Fire.
The British know from their exper{-
ences in South Africa that an alert enc
my will have a number Of marksmen
told off on the special task of bringing
down officers. That the Germans are
making a feature Of this I gather from
the statement Of a German prisoner.
IN the IlrSt place, he said. they al
ways spotted French officer by the
EIENnE
ders to his men, and then he said thew
added 10 their bag by keeping a careful
eye on the reflection thrown off by the
sun from the mica transparency that
frames.
Probably the flash Of a sword has
cost many an officer his life. I recoI-
lect IN South Africa how the CLINT OF
lne sun on biscuit tin gave away a
position IN which the british had men
lying in waiting for the DEVELOPMENT
or a movement that might eventuata a
Few days later. For days they had beer
as happy as sandbOys in their sangar
until one night an empty biscuit tin
was thOughtlessly thrown away outside
the position. When the sun got fairly
nigh IN the heavens, a pitiless rain OF
S silIl started TO fan on the spot where
tney mad been so carefully hidden away.
Htghianders Were Good Targets
AIter EIandSIaagte, the army had to
provide the British Highlanders with
khaki aprons because of the target
their sporrans provided. I recolIect
my friend, G. W Stevens, being peIted
with ClOds Of earth because he persisted
in riding a white horse into the firing
line, and my still older friend. Melton
Prior. being obliged to cake his white
Egyptian helmet with mud because il
had become a target and was drawing
fire not only on US but on the trOoDs
who lay behind the anthiIIs around US.
The question Of distinctive uniform
for special employment is a very Sc
rlouS. one For instance, the French
formed corps OF officers interpreters
to join the British army in the field to
translate for them. They wear 4 blue
1sh uniform quite distinguishabIe from
khaki, and already One-half Of the num-
Der attached to the British cavalry and
Infantry have been killed. No debut
too, their uniforms led to the officer
they have been assisting becoming a
marked man.
COlOnials Wear Bright Uniforms
It is 8 needless risk Of life to send
some Of the French colonial troops into
action with their white pantaloon and
vivid red feZ- I notice the most of the
French troops coming back wounded or
invaded from the front have their red
kepfs envelOped in a dirty blue cover.
which, however inartistic it may look.
certainly does not present such a tar
get to the enemy.
How these little things that matter
are being studied in France is evident
by the way that soldiers letters and
postcards are coming through from the
front No address, no postmark. and il
you want to send a letter to your boy
fighting on the Aisne, you must ad-
dress II TO Orleans or Tour, or some
other place 100 miles from the battle
OF the rivers, where somebody who
knows will see that it reaches its des-
dnatiOn.