A GOLD LACE SASH

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7446, 22 May 1911, Page 8

A GOLD LACE SASH

WAE OFFICE "APEIL FOOLEET.” FROM our. SPECIAL fOTtpimrONDENT. LONDON. April 7. Tf there is one thing the British War Office attends to more than anything it is tho peace dress of our army. The Bay and sometimes gaudy uniforms of tho officers are apparently the one special care of our Armr Council, who are for ever tinkering with tho-ra, adding a. piece of gold braid here, altering th© position of a button or tassel there, and, generally speaking, acting as the true friends at court of the military tailors, to tho impoverishment of the hanless officers ‘who have to pay for the eaxtoriaJ whims of the couhcil. . As a rale tFe military tailors view tho council with much favour, but present juncture both officers and tailors ar© voicing bitter complaints against the uni-form-tinkers of the War Office. And no wonder. , A couple of weeks ago the Army Council iffmed an order that all officers were to provide tbemrelves with an expensive new gold lace sash in readiness for the Coronation. As the sash would cost between five and six pofrnde, th© officers affected naturally entered a strong protest,, and ererv possible pressure was bmueht to bear on the council to get the order But it wa* all to no purpose. "We have sunken. ob»v." was in effect the renlv of the authorities, and to the t-aVors who tnonired whether tl>ere was anv likelihood of the saeh order being withdrawn they said "most, certainly not." So crowbng angrilv. the officers gar© in their orders, and the military ta-Hors proceeded to lay I in material for the new sashes and to engage special hands to mak© them. Th© work was put in hand at once, for time wa* short and th* number of *y.sbeo required la.rge—ssomethin* like 30,000. And then, having allowed ten data i to the Armr Council nitered its mind, and rescinded tho order, thereby expecting to earn at least tho gratitude of tVc officers. But the council repented too late to save most of the officers’ pockets. 'lt is all very well for th* Armr Council to inrimet officers to "cancel ♦heir orders to tailors at once." hut the tailor wh« baa, placed his orders with lace and webbing makers, and the makers * who ha*-e put to heavy in o.rd*r to mair”***the material a* quickie a# nomihle. trill eerifllnlr not *H*w thrir customers to break their contracts fn this c*rml fashion. •'Hm mannfaoriuvrs wfji reoirire the tailors to na.y.. and the +*ilon in their turn will look to the officers to fn’fll th«fr part of the bargain. • Those officers who delayed ordering their rashes in the hope that the council would cancel the order, are, of coarse, well pleased with themselves, and the council, but many of the military tailors who hare nlaoed big orders for material in anticipation of tnoir easterners’ requirements, will bo heavily hit, fey the etn£ required to

make theso special sashes is practically useless for other purposes. Altogether the War Oillco has-made “April Fools" of both officers, tailors, and manufacturers, but the humorous aspect of the Army Council does not seem to ap peal to the victims.