It is also argued on behalf of those who desire
a return to the old uniforms that officers in any case must have more than one uniform, and that when they change into mess uniform they are doing nothing more expensive than they would be doing if they changed into a duplicate of their day uniform—provided of course that gold lace in its old profusion is really done away with. After making all allowances for these arguments, we cannot help feeling that the proposal to give up khaki is absolutely wrong. The Victorian idea of the man in red does not correspond with the ideas of to-day. Everything that is heroic, everything that is businesslike and practical in the Army is associated in our minds now with khaki. The old habit of regarding the use of pipe-clay and polish as in itself " soldiering " has passed away. Even though our military metaphysicians should tell us that button polishing is good soldiering, not for the reasons which the vulgar assume, but because of its symbolical meaning, its power of throwing a man into the necessary frame of mind to be smart, disciplined and alert, we should still remain unconvinced.
