[TO tae EDITOR or TM "SDECLCIOR...] SIR,—I am glad at
last to see (in your issue of December 26th„ 1914) a protest against the headgear which has been adopted for our soldiers in the fighting line. Any one who has done much deer-stalking knows full well that the part of a man's body that should be as small and inconspicuous as possible is that portion of the head above the eyes (about three or four inches in height) which is all that is necessary to enable him to look out for his quarry over the top of a trench or other cover available, and take a sight along the rifle with which to kill him if possible. A sportsman who tried to get near deer or other wild animals, always on the look out for an enemy, with one of our Service caps on his head would be considered stalk staring mad. One can hardly imagine a worse shape for a man's head-covering, whose object is to be as invisible as possible, unless he wore the stove-pipe hat of civilization; the brim at the top forms a hard, conspicuous line, the slightest movement of which from side to side is most visible to an enemy on the look out for any indication of an adversary's whereabouts, particularly when he happens to be on the sky- line. I do not approve your correspondent's suggestion of the tam-o'-chanter, for although better than the hard outline of the present cap, it has its widest circumference at the top. The cap for use in the trenches should fit as close to the Lead as possible. Some of our troops have at present a fairly suitable article in their forage caps, but the most practical covering world be the old-fashioned stalking cap, with one peak in front to protect the eyes from the sun, and another behind for the rain to run off, with ear-flaps tied over the top of the head to be used in cold weather. As regards colour, of course patches of different colours in a check, or otherwise dis- posed, are leas distinguishable than any one colour; but as we cannot hope that our troops will appear in motley, even when their lives depend on it, the present shade of khaki is not bad for most backgrounds, though not so good as the German bluish-grey colour. Another objection to the present Service cap is that it is caught very much by a strong wind, and the slip chin-strap is not sufficiently firm to withstand the displacement thereby caused. Whether the present Service cap was adopted from the Germans or the Greek Archimandrites, it is quite unsuitable for warfare, but if con- sidered picturesque it might be reserved for the promenade.—
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