Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-27

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PAPER COVERING QUITE NUMBER OF POINTS
GALLERY RIPPLE coNTEsT-RFLE PRACTICE
scHEDULr-A OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
many army officers earnest, enthusiastic
friends of the District National Guard. but
none OF them are so well known to the per-
sonnel OF the brigade as is Lieut. Charles Hine,
SKIN united States infantry. He is an icono-
eias' OF the popular type and if he can secure
Ine oihcial recognition he deserves there will
De many desirable reforms in military matters
very interesting contribution from his pen
appears In the Army and Navy Register. The
subject discussed is the manual Of guard duty;
1t Is treated as follows:
Inc appointment Of a board of officers to
revise the manual of guard duty in order to
make IL conform to the new drill regulations
IeneWs the thought that possibly other changes
.ian those so necessitated might with benefit
oe made. The army and the National Guard
are greatly indebted to Lieut. Kennon for the
eraalcatlon of many cumbrous and useless dis
.ihctions In the methods of inspecting of chal-
iehglnG and OF advancing. Those who have in
sructed raw troops under both the old and
the new systems can best realize the far-reach-
ing effect of even slight changes in the direc-
uon OF simplicity. Have We, however. elimi-
mated all artificial and arbitrary distinctions?
Was not Lieut.. kennon. like all successful re-
formers, compelled. perhaps, to yield in some
OF MS contemplated changes until opinion was
gradually educated up to them2
WHERE IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE MADE.
Let us consider few directions in which
improvements could still be made, even though
In SO doing we attack the bulwark which con-
servatlsm ever interposes to progress. Why
does sentinel present arms? Why should he
salute differently from any other soldier! The
superior dignity of a sentinel demands it, You
saw. w nv does demand ifD M " q
ing the superior dignity business too far. When
dignity cannot sustain itself in any position,
when 1t needs props, 1t ceases to be dignity and
becomes pomposity. We have two simple rules
Tor ordinary salutlng. A soldier without rifle
salutes with the hand; with the rifle he exc
cutes tho rifle salute. Are not these two enough?
What Is the use OF a third, simply because the
soldier happens to be sentinel? A sentinels
duty Is primarily to guard and incidentally to
salute just in the scheme of subordina-
ton any other military must.
The way in which We train our
sentinels has a tendency to inculcate a greater
vigilance in observing the front door of an Off
GERS quarters in order to salute than in watch
ing the back door of the c0mmissary in order
to prevent theft. To be sure the sentinel faces
outward from the thing he is guarding and thus
lessons the chances OF surprise. Would 1t not,
however, be better not to halt at all unless adj
dressed. Let the sentinel on meeting officer
come to a carry and, while walking. execute the
way to drill. The present arms should be exc
cuted only by command. if at all, for il is ques-
tionable whether it should be retained in the
manual of arms.
THE sALUTIN9 BUSINESS.
sit is not satisfactory reply to say: This
saluting business is all for garrison; when we
get out in the field we can tell the men to let
salutes go to thunder Time in the field is too
valuable to be taken up with such instructions
alt1fa II w L-,4
manners slightly intensified. The less artificial
they are the fewer changes do we have to make
when We take the field and experience the real
duties OF our profession. To bring out the
point more clearly let us consider the following
scheme, which Is perfectly feasible: Take from
the corridors of the War Department one of
those wax soldiers in uniform. Place him in
the sentry box and in circuit with a battery
and wire to be supplied by the signal corps.
Then when an officer comes within the zone of
salutlng distance the figure can come ont like
the old man and old woman in the barometer
A little ingenuity will enable a rifle. executing
present, to be placed in the circuit, so that
the officer has merely to kick the wire and the
figure will do the rest. This is absurd in the
extreme, but it shows US to what extent we
may be carried in our yearnngs for a salute of
superior dignity. The twenty-five paragraphs
OF orders for saluting could be reduced to two
or three.
CONVERSIONS AND PAROLES.
''The tactical beard, by its criticism. placed a
decided quietus on the use of countersigns and
paroles. The countersign, however, is likely
to be retained for some time. Why should the
phrase, The countersign is right Advance
friend be used in advancing with the counter
sign and All right. Advance friend in adj
vancing to be recognized? Is not all right
good enough for both cases? The advantages
of such distinctions do not compensate for the
time consumed in impressing them upon men,
a m I'D in thn f,,cn of
tinels in these unnecessary points might better
be taken up in questions as to the capabilities
of the rifle and the elementary principles re-
latlng to the trajectory, or some subject of
equal practical importance. The parole is a
relic OF barbarism and should not be retained
Nothing is SO confusing to intelligent but in
experienced men of the National Guard as the
use of the parole.
''The general tendency of the army on all
matters is at present toward simplification, that
OF the National Guard is toward the acquire
ment of technical knowledge. The methods of
instruction ofthe two must coalesce, for in war
We must look for our strength to the National
Guard. The guard manual must be adapted to
the wants and needs of both. The limits of this
paper prevent the discussion of many other
points of the manual of guard duty where a
change would seem advisable. Those discussed
however, appear sufficient to show the direction
the proposed revision should take
GALLERY RIFLE CONTEST.
More than little interest was felt in the
gallery match between the Columbia Athletic
rifle team and team from the tn battalion
Contestants have been practlcing steadily for
the event and everybody was supposed to be in
good trim when Thursday evening arrived.
There we're nine men on each team and each
man fired ten shots at 200 yards. The club
team was captained by DR.. Young the sixth
battalion aggregation was commanded by Capt
James Z. Bell, inspector of rife practice, sec
ond regiment Lieut.. Geo. H. Harries, in
spector Of rifle practice. second battalion, was
range officer.
The scores were as follows:
SIXTH BATTALION TEAM
Vale 4 5 8 5 3 4 5 5 5-4l
Tomlinson 3 4 8 $40
Phillips. ...4 4 8 5 2 5-aI
King 2 3 5 3 5 8 5-3S
Smith. ....3 SO 2 4-34