Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-04-25
OF WARTS
FAST DISAPPEARING
Somber Hued Uniforms Have
Taken Place of the Bright
Colored Ones.

Washington. (by mail).-The pomp
and %pageantry OF war fast are dis
appearing.
The days are gone when q thin red
line" advancing with colors flying n
bayonets cleaning, presented the en-
envy with easy cannon fodder.
In the first place. the respondent
uniform a been discarded by all bel
igerents for one of somber, inconspicu-
GUS hue. The reason is o~bvious-the
human target is delineated with dan
gerous distinctness when bright colors
are worn. For almost thes same reason.
bayonets are no longer FURNISHED. a
raiding party. lurking In No Mans
Land cannot afford to have its pres.
ence betrayed by the CLEAN OF light
from a star-shell on a polished piece
Of steel.
Moreover, the regimental standards
usually are left at headquarters. a
color sergeant probably would fino
himself in a difficult position II con-
fronted with the necessity OF fighting
off an enemy and keeping the Rag
waving at the same time.
A sad feature Of the present war Is
that there will be no youngest drum,
mer boy" For many years the PROUD
individual VINO held this distinction IN
the Civil war has been dying or oy
hundreds, so perhaps many post peiiutn
controversies have been averted ny
eliminating the picturesque boyish
figure.
The blarc Of bands usually has been
associated with memorable
be convinced very easily that trench
concerts might Jrove unhealthy. Ihere
| still remains, However, the sktrl OF the
bagpipes.
The general Of the lace-encumbered
uniform and flowing hat plumes has
- --- go -,tAL Ah@ avg Ho}~ nHG
period, SO far as field service Is con
cerned. In h gloomy corridors of the
state, wal and navy building there Is
on display in glass cases
attired in the uniform worn by Amerl-
a soldiers at various periods OF the
rior, clad in a blue o with buff
facings and wearing a p~erilously bal
anced t~hree-cornered hat, compares but
poorly in apparent efficiency with the
trim fighting men Of today. The garb
of the modern American soldier is de-
veloped along strictly utilitarian lines.
The dull! khaki one blends into the
landscape at a distance and the broad
brim campaign hat offers protection
from the sun. The "tin hat" or steel
helmet worn in trench warfare, also
has been adopted by the eXpeditionary
forces.
The civilian, however, still finds room
for mystification in endeavoring to find
why the blue jackets still wear the
halo-like hat and broad bottomed trous-
ers. apparent survivals from the days
Of the frigate.
No narrative Of a heroic charge in
wars Of bygone days was complete
without a picture Of an officer leading
his men with sword In hand. Now, II
isn't done. The man with the sword
readily is distinguished by the enemy
as an officer-and as such a desirable
target for rifle and machine gun fire.
In Civil war days, and as recently as
the Spanish war, soldiers and Officers
were represented as gathering nightly
about the campfire. In history ano
fiction, descriptions are not lacking OF
the anxious officers who studied ou'
plans for the morrow's campaign by
the Pickering blazes. Campfires II
France, If built at all, are located deer
In a dug out, as their presence allow
ground would serve admirably as {
range-finder for the foes artillery.
But the element Of individual ane
mass gallantry nevertheless still sur
vives-and to a greater extent. A:
long as history lives. men will remem'
Der the stand Of the French at Verdun
English tenacity at the Somme, tn
wild recklessness Of the Canadians a
Vimy Ridge, the sacrifice Of the Anzac
at Gallipoli, and the proverbial courag
Of the Irish, who, it is said, charged
into a whitening fire at Loos kickini
q football before them.
The Americans of the expeditionar,
forces have had their baptism OF fir
and have not been found wanting. Ira
ditions Of a nation are theirs to uphold
and f0 increase.