Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-21

VXTASHINGTON, D. c., Sept 17-Since Amer
wv lean troops have gone to France and
large portion of the male population at
home has gone into khaki, many changes have been
suggested in the army uniform. General Hugh Il.
Scott, chief of staff of the army, is in favor OF
changing the present outstanding collar to the roed
type worn by French and British soldiers. FROM
France comes the recommendation that the army
overcoat be shortened from ankle to knee length
in order to facilitie the movements OF men IN the
trenches; while in this country there is mucn Cd
lection to the leather puttees.
Puttees are very nice to look at, and for field
duty there is nothing better, but officers not on
field duty find them exceedingly uncomfortable.
They are clumsy and stiff when worn indoors, and
heating that they produce skin eruptions
shorter overcoat, also, presents difficulties for
it, too, less material but the rolled collar is
a different matter. 1t cannot be substituted quite
so easily.
Indeed, at first the collar suggestion was dis
missed as absolutely impracticable. Already thou
sands of men had bought uniforms with upstand-
ing collars, and it unreasonable the war de-
partment said, to expect those men to turn right
around and buy uniforms merely for the sake
of rolled collars. Yet If one man wore one, every
other man must wear one. The other day, how
ever, new light shed the collar situation
when New York merchant appeared in the secre-
tary's of wars office with typical American COM
bination device which. when attached to the army
uniform, provided 1t with both outstanding and
a rolled collar. When one is in use the other is
folded back out Of sight
suggested in the uniform. There have been hun
dreds. For awhile they came so thick and fast,
and there was so much quarreling and discussion
them that Secretary Baker was compelled 10
remind the officers that the duty Of the army was
to win the and not to complain about Its
clothes. And, to settle the matter he announced
that there would be changes in the uniform
during the period of the war.
Since then, the secretary appears to have modi-
fed this order to read, unless any important
recommendations received from General Perish
ing" So tits up to Pershing. If he decides
in favor of the rolled collar, the short coat and
the elimination of puttees, the army will get them
not before
Every time the subject of change of uniform
up at the war department, couple OF an
cient and valuable volumes are dragged out of a
safe on the top floor and carefully consulted These
volumes contain the history of the American army
uniform from the days of it's infancy when 1t
but pink green cockade worn in the hat to
the time of the Spanish-American war when the
dignifed spendor Of its dark blue coat with black
silk frogs changed to khaki.
1t is a notifying and at the same time pre-
cious fact that the of the Revolution had no
official uniforms. 1t all they could do to OBJ
tain ordinary clothes, and sometimes even these
were painfully lacking as everyone who has ever
heard of Valley Forge knows Before 1775, the
various states provided uniforms for their few
soldiers which usually the red coats and hats
of the British army, but naturally at the outbreak
of the revoStion these were Immediately discard
ed In the volumes at the war department
finds the following interesting provision dated
1916:
Gas the Continental army have, unfortunately,
no uniforms and consequently many inconven-
fences arise from not being able always to distin
guish the commissioned officers from the noncom-
missioned, and the noncOmmissioned from the prf-
Yates, it is desired that some badges of distinction
may be Immediately provided; for instance, that
the field officers may have red or pink-coored cock
AIDES in their hats, the captains yellow or buzz and
the subalterns green. The sergeants may be dis
tinguished by an epaulette or stripe Of red cloth
sewed upon their right shoulders the corporals
by one of green.
In another place one finds that 1.-THE General
meaning Washington, of course-recommends