Pueblo chieftain., 1921-05-01
BY FREDERIC ]. Haskin.


Washington. D. c., April 2s-Whilc
our army will fight in the future large
ly with such ultra-modern devices as
flying machines and poison gases. it
will carry banners cmblazoncd with
shields, dragons. crosses. crests and
all sorts of other heraldic emblems
which have come down from the Mid
dle Ages. Each regiment of the army is
having its history reduced to heraldic
terms and embroidered upon its regi-
mental colors.
This. no doubt. is one more step In
! the age-old effort to make war seem
glorious. As a matter of fact war is a
peculiarly dirty and unpleasant Job
| most OF the time. as million or SO
men In this country can testify. This
fact has always been recognized by
rulers and governments, who havo
spared no effort to make 1t seem thrill
ing and heroic. II we could step back
find that all the elaborate ceremonies
and oaths. the tournaments presided
over by beautiful ladies. which were
accompaniments of knighthood. were
invented by the barons in order to
stimulate recruiting for the Crusades
and other wars. Mayhap the beautcous
damsel who pinned n rose on her
knight had a second incarnation in the
war worker who shimmied with the
doughboy.
f1ODdDly Wdf IN inc fnluule ages WIS
not really any more romantic than II is
now. and helmets must have been
oven more uncomfortable than gas
masks. But distance lends cnchant-
mcnt and the days of kniShthood 1.-Two
in tho imagination as time when tho
business OF organized homicide was
pleasing and beautiful. So. from the
standpoint of recruiting 1t is perhaps
wise novc to give our modern army
a touch of the medieval hocus -pocus,
to link the prosaic present with the
romantic past, and remind tho modern
warrior that he is one OF an ancient
line OF heroes. who. since the origin
of government, have gone forth in
search of glory and come back fun OF
holes.
The New PLAN
The new plan is an outgrowth of tho
divisional insignia scheme used so
successfully during tho war. The little
badge worn on the arm of the soldier
identified him at once with par
ticular branch OF the service. It was
more impressive to refer to the Rain
bow Division or the Wildcat Division
than TO tho Forty-second or tho Sew
enty-scvcnth. The name meant some
thing in the history OF tho division. 4,
aroused in the soldier a great pride in
his organization.
So now, instead OF the United States
coat t-of-arms being displayed on all the
each regiment is given, an opportun-
ity to put some of its battle history in
to the shield. The eagle Will remain
Just as he tx on the United States seal
But instead OF the national shield with
its rcd and white stripes and blue
band at the top. the regiment is to sup
crimposo its own shield device on tho
eagle.
Tho devices are being executed as
nearly as possible in strict accord with
the rules of medieval hcraldry. Each
shield must he blszoned-thst is. de-
scribcd in the old hcraldic language
that seems so insane to the layman
but is actually a wonderful code. Any
coat -of- arms can be described in n
blazon in few words. so that an
artist can reproduce 1t accurately.
Take tho most familiar example. the
United States shield. which heraldry
describes in seven words, argent. six
pnllcts. gulns, chief azure" This, in
English translation would he silver
field. SIX vertical stripes of red. band
across the top of blue" At first. this
looks simpler in plain English. But II
You were about to draw the picture,
you would find YOU were not sure how
wide the blue band nor tho stripes
should he. In tho hcraldic terms. tho
words chief and pallets are understood
To cover certain proportions Of tho
shield.
rho word argent. silver. is today re-
produced as white. In the kriEhthood
period, the shield was Of metal and the
device was painted on in colors. So
even now gold and silver are terma
used in hcraldry. tho in working out a
dcsiEn, yellow and white are used be-
cause metallic paints and silks are apt
to tarnish.
Practically all tho old heraidic Lam