Detroit evening times., 1945-07-31
WESTBROOK
PECLER
Fair
Enough


commander on active service in
the navy. now high and dry in
the hills behind Stamford. Conn.
singing "Barnacle Bill" volun-
teered a suggestion concerning
the costume of the American
flat-hat, blue jacket or COB.
Costume, rather than uniform.
seems the appropriate word for
this quaint survival of olden
times in a fighting force that
hasn't had a sailor in the literal
sense of the word within the
memory OF any man now serving.
1t has Is buttons on the pants,
sentimental if indelicate refer
ence TO the original states of
this peave-loving republic.
The jumper, or blouse. long
ago was seized by the dress
makers as appropriate for the
young ladies of boarding school
age.
II has inadequate pocket room
and, with the passing OF time
and the change of style, has
become mere memento. as i'm
practical as the Gordons kits.
CMDR. TUNNEY'S concern
" was not aesthetic or sar-
torial. although / am not the
one 10 allege that there is any
phase of any problem worthy Of
his utter neglect.
Having neither belt nor
suspenders TO hold up their bell
bottom trousers but only a sort
OF expansion plate aft which can
be closed by laceS, the enlisted
sailor must keep them up by
abomnal pressure after he had
stopped few times and the
pants have been dered,
stretching the cloth.
This Cmdr. Tunney argued.
deformed the posture and the /.
flat hat, having no bill or pealSl
presented no target for the hand
IN the manual salute, with the
result that sailors sometimes
think they are saluting when
they are scratching the right
ear
As to this latter objection.
he might be repulsed by refer
ence TO the brisk and accurate
saluting Of soldiers Of many
armies who wear the fore
aft cap and OF Frenchmen in
their beretS
THIS was an issue that could
bid It's time on the future
hook. bat II vas revived re-
Gently by one Of our higher Of
flcers IN proposal 10 let sailors
hereafter dress IN STYLE TIM
mlstakably masculine and mod
ern for the good of their morale
as well as Of their health.
And | have found no more in
terestlng comment on the SUBJ
Ject than that of an old blue
Jacket. signing himself as Ar
thur l.. Palmer Of Long Beach.
Cal, Who says he sailed with
Bob Evans 40 wears ago snd ap-
parentiy isn't proud of his old
pictures.
We read In the papers," he
says. "of n bill To abolish the.
monkey suit. An old navy salt.
myself. 1906 and 1918, I am for
the change. IL IL long overdue
and IL is important. These kiddy
clothes are bad for the navy
and the nation.
consider the real. original
reason for such n suit. The usual
historical and utilitarian stuff
IL just bell-bott0med bunk. The
fact IL that these nursery out
fits served useful British pur-
pose In the hard-boiled long ago.
tn eNait the bridge and degrade
the fo'c'sle.' They marked low
caste. They tanned tough tars,
made them ruly. socially In
-ferior and all that sort OF thing.
Hard to run amok or mu-
Tiny In rompers. wot: Even
goriliss soul sank, sui,srryipnt
and silly. Put one on your-
selves, sirs. and note the effect.
On duty. dungarees will do.
Dressed mp, that's different.
Character. self respect. eff
cheney, behavfeF-alI are st
stake. \ trim, snappy, dignified
uniform makes a man feel and
act like a man. Today ships are
technical, and mechanical and
the men are specialists. Let
america lead off here. Let's be
done with this make-beiieve.
roistering, rowdy. sloppy ire
sponsibIe notion Of salty sailing
ship yesterdays and lousy
waterfronts. We have modern
ized our ships and methods.
Now lets make the monkey suit
walk the plank.
our boys are tops nv any
test. They have q right to be
uniformed. one and all. regard
less of rate or rank. like off
GERS and gentlemen"
4 5 TO the British origin of
\ the low neck and the vide
pants | have no knowledge. but
the relative positions of officers
and men was the same in our
navy as in theirs in the same
days when the British man
owarsman was degraded and
reluctant hero. often kid
mapped from the waterfront and
serving under brutal punish
ment and heIoV oratincs A..