With it the Commandant served small, very thin cakes, with a layer of
honey in the centre. "A specialty of the country," he said.
We talked of many things: of the attitude of America toward the war,
her incredulity as to atrocities, the German propaganda, and a rumour
that had reached the front of a German-Irish coalition in the House of
Representatives at Washington.
From that the talk drifted to uniforms. The Commandant wished that the
new French uniforms, instead of being a slaty blue, had been green,
for use in the spring fighting.
I criticised the new Belgian uniform, which seemed to me much thinner
than the old.
"That is wrong. It is of excellent cloth," said the General, and
brought his cape up under the lamp for examination.
The uniforms of three armies were at the table--the French, the
Belgian and the English. It was possible to compare them under the
light of a single lamp.
The General's cloak, in spite of my criticism, was the heaviest of the
three. But all of them seemed excellent. The material was like felt in
body, but much softer.
All of the officers were united in thinking khaki an excellent
all-round colour.
"The Turcos have been put into khaki," said the Commandant. "They
disliked it at first; but their other costumes were too conspicuous.
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