The Alaska daily empire., 1916-09-23
SAYS SOLDIERS
 OF U, s. SHOULD
 SHOW OFF MORE
British Officer Has Some thing to Say About the American
 Troops.
FUNSTON TAXES LUNCH

Wlrn DanGS nAGllnB ana colufo ny ing. regimentul driu takes place on the broad parade ground oi the pie trresque Fort Som Houston five ev- enings of every week The public is invited and Che public comes. Society is out in automobiles. Street cars bring their quota and many come on foot
 The idea is that of Maj. Gen. Frederick Funston He thinks g iit- t:e public show win stimulate the men. arouse their interest. awaken interest in the army and aid rccruit- ing.
 General Funston has refused Go comment on ,his point but by CO., incidence his order fer rcgimcntai drHi came on the heels of The pub Hcadon in the Army and Navy Jour nal of an article by X. C. o. Egerton. British army officer. saying there is no, enough show and glitter about the American army.
 Egerton's criticism foiiows
 "As 8 British officer in this coun- try. buying horses and what not. ! canuo, but be b.t impressed by and very much in sympathy with the preparedness movements now be- come such an issue here.
 From time co -.me oEe reads in the press Of the difficulty your army is having in obtaining recruits Co meet the recently authorized ir- crease in the service.
 Need Brilliant Uniforms
 May ! humbiy suggest that this may be due partially to the fact tha, your army appears-from an English point Of v.ew-to be utter ly lacking in those elements which appeal Co the imaginat.ons of thou sands 0i men who are iusti-ctiveiy soldiers. but who need some stimu- Jus Co bring out their martial incii- nations
 By this ] mean that in America you have no brilliant uniforms; your soldiers on liberty are attired in clothes which do not fit them, and in which. il they did t.t. no man could possibly feel smart and dapper. The men do mol, walk well and are not military in appccrance-doubt- less through ign0rance-and in con versation with several of them learned what to me a5 an English mana most amazing thing-.hat most of your men prefer GO appear iu public in mutt rather than in uniform.
 Your res,mertal bands never play ia your parks. and eXccp, on special holidays one never sees any of your officers in uniform cantering around Central Park. dining o, the rcs;au rants nor attending the theatre. To borrow one or your excellent eN pressicns. your army never shows off, nor parades before yog- people
 And what Is the obviocs result,
 Civilians Densely isrorart
 "Amerlcans are dcnsely ignorant of ,hc.r army. Most Of them have never seen an American soldier and cannot tell you che most elementary facts concerning the se.sice. The idea Of che army's existence seems. to an outsider. hardly Go occur co the great majority Of the population. I- was not my good fortune Go come Co Che United States before this year. and had not up Go then studied your service any more than he'd of. le, us say the Argentine but ] can assure you that ] knew more about the American army than does the average New Yorker Of means and education whom it has been my pleasure to meet
 Friends here tell me that uni forms. bands parades. etc, do not appeal co Americaus and that the more frequent appearance of the ar my in public would nc, attract re- c-uits cannot agree with them.
 From the standpoint or heredi,y y0u- people. whether Anglo-SaX0n. Germans or Fferch etc.. came from races with an !nborn live Of the military. Surely this has not been totally lost during the development of the country. Again. from prac- Jical po'n, oi view. myself have seen Americans shout and stamp when a band-usuaily made up of offensive foreigners passed through 9 stree. at the head Of some civic delegation and playing any tune with @ swing to it Also many of your militia regiments design for them selves most gaudy full dress uni- forms for use ir would seem, only in che privacy of their armories. Why never .n pubiic2 Are they self