Evening star., 1896-03-07
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Participation in Interstate Drills to
Be Prohibited Hereafter.
RIFLE CONTESTS At SAVANNAH
Court Of Inquiry Asked for in the
Third Battalion.
RULES AND REGULATIONS

To surprising degree has the Interstate
| drill fever increased since the announce
| ment of the proposed contest in Savannah,
| Ca, May 11-16 inclusive next, and among
| the members of the several companies in
| terested. practically nothing else is talked
| of. At recent meeting of the Military
| interstate Association of Savannah, the
| amount of the second prize in the interstate
| infantry contest was raised from $3.50 to
$500, and Lieut.. William G. Cam of the
Chatham Artillery was authorized to make
tour of the south from Washington to
New Orleans to interest companies in the
contest. From the small prizes and the an
| nounced itinerary Of Lieut.. Cann's tour,
however, it would seem that no companies
| from the north and west are expected to
| compete.
Commenting on the opinion of the Wash
| ington companies that the prizes offered
are entirely too small to justify a trip to
| Georgia, a Savannah paper saws: "It looks
very much as If the Washington people
| want too much of a good thing. No doubt
| they are on the lookout for bigger game,
ana 1t Is fortunate that there are probably
| not many more commands like them
| There Is little doubt that when the situa-
| ton Is thoroughly put before the military
| companies of the country, those who can
| come will do So and engage in the con-
tests, which will be arranged with a view
| OF giving everybody a chance somewhere" ."
Closely following the news of a contest
at savannah has come an announcement,
FOR which The Fencible," the fair paper
| OF the National Fencibles, is authority to
| the effect that an interstate drill Is to be
| held in Chicago, during the latter part of
| August. under the auspices of the southern
states exposition, an enterprise organized
| to boom the south and it's products. Large
| prizes, it is said, are to be offered, and the
| drill generally conducted on an elaborate
scale, all companies, whether in the Ma
| tional Guard or independent" being ad-
mitted. No formal announcement of the
| reported Chicago drill has been made, how
| ever.
| Ever since the return of Capt. Shilling
and his victorious drill team from Memphis
| last May, the boys have been hungerlng
| for another opportunity to strive for cham
| pionship honors. Although the company
! has not acted on the matter, 1t has prac-
| ticaliy been decided in an Informal way to
| go to Savannah and to begin preparation
| therefor six weeks prior to the time for
| depar rture.
| With the prize-winning trip to st. Louis
| last July fresh in their minds, the Ma
tional Rifles, or some of them at least.
have already begun arranging the person.
mel of a team to represent the organization
at Savannah, and company c, Washington
Light Infantry Corps, now in process OF re-
| organzatio firmly intends to jump from
comparative obscurity to renown and fame
by its efforts in interstate competition
A special meeting of the Corcoran Cadet
determine in regard to the trip, and sew
eral other companies are desrous of at
tending the drill, but have not come to the
front in that respect as yet.
To Prohibit Drill Competition.
1t is rather harsh at the very beginning
of the enthusiasm, but perhaps more nerci-
! full than if at later date, to throw a bomb
among the companies expecting to par
ticipate in the coming drill and scatter
their hopes. 1t is understood, and pretty
thoroughly, too, that only one local COM
pany. and that not a National Guard or
ganiSation, is at all likely to participate
in interstate drills hereafter The COM
panies of the District National Guard, so
definite rumor has it, viii be barred as
though with steel rods by short but pow
erful paragraph to be published in the
next gene, al orders from brigade head
ders are expected by the knowing ones to
say, in effect something like the following:
Hereafter permission wiA not be granted
companies of the National Guard to leave
the District of Columbia for the purpose of
participating in interstate drills"
Although protestations lord ard long and
perhaps wailing and gnashing of teeth may
follow suca an order, it is sta ted that the
commanding gen eral is Enthusiastically
firm in his reported determination to pro-
hibit the con paLies under his command
engaging in the big contests mainly for
the reason that such are considered Of no
value in a military sense and have a ten
dency toward disorganZation. The policy
Of the War Department is very plain in
the matter 1t has successfully declined to
detail army officers to serve as judges in
such contests and later to permit officers
to volunteer for such duty 1t has also
been learned from reliable sources that the
War Department officials have thought Of
communicating with the commanding gen.
eral Of the District with the view Of bring
ing to a termina ticn the participation here
after of the troops of the District guard in
the contests.
Expected Oficia1 Action.
Any possible action Of the War Depart
ment directed locally, ii is said by those in
a position to know. will be anticipated in
the next general orders from brigade head
quarters. The commanding general last
year readily granted permission to all COM
panics desriouS to attend the drill at Mem
phis. but it was with the underst landing
that each would report for the brigade en-
campment at Fort Washington with full
ranks. The lamentable failure of one Of
the organizations to fulfill the requirements
is said to have finally determined the mat
ter for all time. far the officer at
present commanding the brigade is con-
cerGed.
1t may be stated that the next general
orders from brigade headquarters will be
awaited with trif1e more than the usual
interest by the officers and men of GER
tain of the companies. Should the orders
contain a paragraph of the nature described
1t VIII not De at all surprising, but merely
in keeping with the action taken years ago
in Pennsylvania New York, Massachusetts,
New Jersey and all other states where the
effort is to make the National Guard thor
oughly efficien,.
Rifle Contests at Savannah.
AS regards the rifle contests at the Savan-
rah meet, it looks though the District
National Guard will rot be represented for
the reason that the prizes offered would by
no means justify a journey to the Georgia
city. The competitions include the "De
Renne trophy match seven shots at 200,
300 and 800 yards for the prize trophy, cost
ing $1,000 and $50 in cash.
The interstate match, seven Shots at 200
800 and 600 yards, for the bronze figure
DE Soto" costing $3.50, and $50 in cash.
Match for regimental, battalion or COM
pany teams, of six men each, ten shots. at
200 and 500 yards, with one run of 20 shots
for large silver cup and $50.
A company match for teams of five men
under the same conditions as the preced-
ing, except skirmish run on silhouette
figures for a medal and $50.
Individual matches for medals and por-
tion of entrance money.
The first announcement of the rife
matches a week ago set forth that prizes
aggregating $500 or more would be award
ed, and in consequence serious con sidera-
ton WIS given by local rif1emen to the
proposition to send team or teams to