Evening star., 1941-08-13

s& provided at
McLemors. present by Uncle
Sans tailors.
1t is not that the soldiers them
selves have anything against the
khaki getup chosen by the military
stylists. They rather like it, as a
matter of fact. But they feel, and
very definitely, that the civilian
population of the United States
doesn't favor it. They will tell you
that any man wearing same is likely
to get something other than fair
shake when dealing with the nom
military citizens. The tenor of the
complaints is all the same.
Give us uniforms that do not
identify us as soldiers" they say
and write. "and we will never have
any trouble when we are away from
our camps. Put us in overalls or
dinner jackets or anything but
khaki, and we are accepted as nice
guys. But the sight of khaki seems
to have the same effect on citizens
that red does on bull, and the re-
suit is We get showed and pushed
around. And we're getting pretty
sore about it."
From Fort Custer private, who
asked that his name be withheld,
wrote that he had trouble riding in
comfort on trains when he was in
| uniform.
The railroad men try to herd us
/ back into the worst coaches" he
said, land I don't know whether this
is because We get a cut rate when
travelling, or because we wear the
uniform of our country. They even
asked me, when I was getting on the
train, and in civilian clothes, If I
were soldier.
Having had previous run-in with
them, said that I wasn't. So they
let me sit in first-class. air-condl-
toned coach, but two men in uni
form were ordered out of the coach
| and driven to the rear of the train.
/ The two soldiers were completely
sober and were behaving them
selves as quietly as any of the other
passengers, but they had TO get out"
Since I got that letter I have
asked Is or 20 soldiers if they ever
had a similar experience, and half of
them said yes" that they had. that
they had been asked to take the
poorest accommodations on the
train. but that they had told the
trainmen to hell with it and refused
TO move.
The wearing of khaki gets the
boys tossed about in restaurants and
night clubs, too. Pin stripes and
blue serges are welcome, but the old
khaki is likely to find the place
| filled. with no tables available for
a month or two. You see, the Army
! summer uniform has no coat, and
/ in this great democracy not even
the presence of a national emer-
gency is enough to justify a man
going to the dinner table without his
coat. Even the fact that he doesn't
have coat doesn't make any diff
ference.
Not one, but 25 soldiers have told
me that they have been refused
admittance to restaurants because
they didn't have a coat.
So you see why I think the uni
form should be changed. The civil
ians must be pleased. They are in
the majority, to begin with. and,
after all, why should any special
privileges be granted to men who
have placed nothing more important
than their lives at the disposal Of
their country?
If the civilians would like soldiers
better in some other garb, let us by
all means change the uniform. Whv
not an Army that had white tie,
tail coat and top hat for a uniform?
This dress would be bit awkward
In battle, perhaps, but it would make
its wearer more socially acceptable,
and heaven knows we mustn't Of
fend any of the good, patriotic
snobs in this country. As it is now.
1t is pretty tough on the civilian,
who is trying to enjoy his new-found
defense program wealth, to be asked
to sit side by side with man in a
rough uniform, who has nothing to
his credit save a willingness to get
In there and get shot for his coun-
try If necessary.
Can you imagine the embarrass-
ment Of q fellow who is cleaning I'D
on defense orders who has to share
the same room with soldier who
doesn't even have a coat on? My
heart bleeds for such man.
There is no doubt about 1t, the
War Department should take i'm
mediate steps to change the uni
form Of the soldier so that he
won't have to undergo the terrific
humiliation of being recognized as
a soldier.
But why all the gripping, pal? If
you don't like this country, why
don't you 60 back where you came
from?
| Distributed by McNaught Syndicate. Inc)