The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-03-27
VAR P4GE4NTRY
LARGELY VANISHED
Resplendent Uniform Has Given Place to
One of Somber and Inconspicu-
ours Hue.

Washington. March 27-The pomp anc
paeantrv Of war fast are disappearing
| The days are gone when thin red
line advancing with colors flying and
| bayonets cleaning, presented the enemy
with easy cannon.fodder,
In the first place, the Respondent has
been discarded by all belligerents for one
of somber inconspicuous hue The rea
son is obvious-the human target is de
lineated with dangerous distinctness
when bright colors are worn. For almost
| the same reason, bayonets are no longer
FURNISHED \ raiding party, lurking in
| No Mans Land. cannot afford to have its
presence betrayed by the CLEAN of light
| from star-shell on a polished piece of
| steel.
Moreover, the regiDlental standards
usually are left at headquarters A
/ color sergeant probably would find him.
self in difficult position if confronted
with the necessity of fighting off an enc
my and keeping the flag waving at the
same time.
A sad feature of the present war is
there will be no youngest drummer
boy" For many years the proud ind-
yidual who held this distinction in the
Civil war has been dying off by hundreds.
SO perhaps many post-bellum controver-
sizes have been averted by eliminating
the picturesque boyish figure.
The blaze of bands usually has been
associated with memorable advances of
troops, but the musicians now can be
convinced very easily that trench con
eerts might prove unhealthy. There still
remain, however, the skirl of the bag
pipes.
The general of the lace encountered
uniform and flowing hat plumes has
passed out with the horse-haired sofa
period, so far as field service is con
cerned. In the gloomy corridors of the
war and navy building there are on dis
play in glass cases mannkins attired in
the uniform worn by American soldiers
at various periods of the country's his
tory. A continental warrior, clad in
blue coat with buff facings and wearing |
a perilously balanced three -eornered hat, |
compares but poorly in apparent eff /
cheney with the trim fighting man of to- |
day. The garb of the modern American |
soldier is developed along strictly utili-
tartan lines The dull khaki tone blends |
into the landscape at distance and the |
broad brim campaign hat offers protee-
ton 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 justification in endeavoring TO find
ind why the bluejackets still wear the !
halo like hat and broad bottomed trous-
ars. apparent survivals from the DAYS of
.he frigate.
No narrative of heroic charge in 1
wars Of bygone days was complete with
,ut picture of an officer leading his L
men with sword in hand. Now. II isn't
lone. The man with the sword readily i
: distinguished by the enemy a : an Off ,
'cr-and as such desirable target for !;
lille aud machine gun iire.
In Civil war days, aud ss recently a. !
he Spanish war, soldiers aud officers
we're represented as gathering nightly I
bout the campfire. In history and ic-
ion. descriptions are not lacking Of {
he anxious officers who studied out I
,lsns for the morrow's campaign BY the
Iickering blazes Campfires in France, {
I built at all. are located deep in .
layout. a. their presence above ground :
rould serve admirably as a range-findcr =
CT the foes artillery.
But the element Of individual and
lass galianiry nevertheless still sur
iVes-and to a greater extent. As lorS c
= history lives. men vii remember the .
.snd Of rhe French AZ Nerdun. English
snacity 81 the Somne. the Wild reck- $
.ssness 81 the Canadians q Viniy Ridge,