Uniforms.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3177, 25 April 1879, Page 3

Uniforms.

A little reflection (says the Pall Mall Gazette) will suggest that the soldier ought to have two uniforms—one for war, the other for peace : just as the civilian has a working suit and another for dress. The soldier's campaigning uniform should be a working suit: one that will stand a great deal of wear and tear, be unconspicuous, and require no furbishing ; for in war a soldier has plenty to do without looking after his clothes. But in peace the uniform has a different purpose to servo. It should make the soldier smart; and the time which he spends in polishing its buttons and brightening its facings counts towards his education in cleanliness: and expertness of hand. Experience shows that a handsome uniform, if not extravagantly overlaid with finery, is not dearer in the end than an ugly one; for illsdressed soldiers become slovenly and wear out their clothes fust. . ... That excellent sentiment for which the French invented the name esprit de corps has almost disappeared from the French army since the uniforms in each branch of the j service have become all alike. It can mat* ter little to a soldier whether he belongs to

the Ist or the 100 th Regiment of the linej

jgr the corps are only distinguished from v each other by the numbers on their tunics. .There is now one uniform for the infantry jkof the line, one for heavy cavalry, and one for light. The Chasseurs, Artillery, and Engineers being special corps retain distinct uniforms; and then there are the [Republican Guards and the gendarmes, but these belong rather to the police than to the army. The days seem very far distant —though they are but eight years off —when there were more than thirty uniforms in the French army; but even thed old officers looked back with regret to earlier days, when each infantry regiment had its different facings and badges, and bore some name by which it Was known throughout the service. England and Russia have remained the two most, conservative countries in the matter of uniform, but Eussia has lately abolished the queer mitre-shaped csakos of the Preobajentski guards, and given a mere tepi v head-dress to the whole infantry of the line. Austria, since Sadowa, has abolished her lancers, reduced the number of hussar uniforms to • one; (ihere used Ito bfe twelve), and has done .away with the white tunic, which; when faced with scarlet or light blue, i made its infantry look so smart. The Prussian service has never boasted brilliant uniforms; but, on the other hand, it is the country which has been slowest to adopt changes. The tunics of its line and cavalry are now exactly what they* were forty years ago; and it may be observed that it was Prussia which let the example of clothing cavalry in tunics. Not a felicitous innovation this by any means, and one which much disgusted old officers when it was introduced into the British army about twenty-three years ago. The abolition of epaulets in the English service dates from about the same time, and this again was a change of doubtful value. The epaulet was not very useful to the private soldier, though it did help to ward off sabre cuts and kept the shoulders square; but it looked well on the coat of an officer, and marked his rank better than the star and crown on the collar, which; can only be seen close. For all this the English regiments are undoubtedly those which make the finest appearance on a review ground. The Household Cavalry are superb troops,

unmatched for the luxury of their- accoutrements; carabineers, lancers, hussars, dragoons, and horse artillery also cut dashing figures; then there are the Highlanders, whose picturesqueness is unique, though they have lost a little of it with the feather bonnet. Among the relics of the paat which England has kept, the quaint costumes of the drummers- in the Guards' and Household' Cavalry bands deserve notice. The former in their ■carlet jackets and trousers, white waistcoats, and taU csakos, the latter with their gold coats and black velvet caps, recall a very far gone military epoch. !