"A commanding officer is a living representative of the Stars and Stripes, and as such he deserves to be saluted even more than the flag," says Major Humphreys of the British Army, stationed at Camp Jackson as an instructor.

The major points out that in the origin of the salute there was no hint of the servility which some raw recruits have foolishly read into this important feature of military etiquette.

The salute, he says, arose from the custom of raising the visor when two knights in armor met, by way of recognizing friend from foe. Otherwise, it would be like trying to tell men apart when they are wearing gas-masks.

"Nothing makes the enlisted man more tired than the sloppy way some young officers return the salute," said a brisk, bright Philadelphia sergeant to me.

"Even here in patriotic Philadelphia you will see them sometimes salute shamefacedly and furtively, as if they were trying to avoid the soldier who has just saluted them.

"The only way to salute is with sharp, instant decision, like a semaphore signal, looking a man right in the eyes as you do it.

"As soon as the Russians sent out the order that soldiers need no longer salute their officers it was all over with discipline in the Russian army."

General Bailey at Camp Jackson is bound that his men shall know how to salute.

General Sir Archibald Hunter told me at Aldershot that the men who were most punctilious about saluting were the men who were making the best records under fire at the front. --Boston Transcript.