Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-30

best qualified for the place. The President
followed his suggestion, and at the meeting
of the Cabinet today told Secretary Alger to
,, have Maj Harres' commission made out
at once for signature
The President signed the commission of
Gen. Harries this afternoon, and it was put
in the War Department mail Immediately
after, addressed to him at the headquarters
OF the National Guard Of the District,
where it should arrive tomorrow .norning.
Law the Subject.
The &C ton of the President in this matter
is final and the appointment does not re-
qIire confirmation by the Senate. For the
information Of the President and the Secre-
| tary of War Adjutant General Breck pre-
pared an abstract of the laws relating to
the organization of the District National
Guard. The abstract is follows:
1.-The act of March, 1903. with two minor
acts supplementary thereto. of July l, 1872,
and March 3, 1875, provide for the organ
| liza ton Of the District Of Columbia militia.
''The act Of 1903 was IN force until super
seded by the act of March, 1883, 70 provide
for the efgsultzltion of the militia of the
District of Columbia.
This was formerly quite a large organ
ization Under the tSo3~ act but this was
practie ally broken Up in consequence of the
war of the; rebellion. The 1903 act pro-
vides that the President shall appoint and
commission during pleasure the proper Of
ficers of the District of Columbia militia.
THE question of organizing the militia
was discussed more or less in Congress and
by the War Department for ten or twelve
years prior to the act of 1889, and Gen.
OrdWay was commissioned brigadier gen.
erai in the District of Columbia militia
April 10. 1897, by the President.
There is no record in this office of any
letters or recommendations for his ap-
pointment, which was directed to be made
by the Secretary of War:
fha nnt Of
provides that the President of the United
States shall be commander r-in-chief of the
militia i!l of the District of Columbia.
Section Z provides that there shall he
appointed by the President OF the United
States commanding general of the militia
OF the District of Columbia, with the rank
OF prigadier general, who shall hold Of
flee until his successor is appointed and
qualified. but he may be removed any time
by the President
Section 10 provides that all officers
snail be commissioned by the President
section provides for the appointment
OF an officer of the army to act as adj
Jutant general of the militia of the District
OF Columbia, who, while SO assigned, shall
De commissioned SUCH and be subject
to the orders of the commanding general
provided by this act.
Neither the brigadier general command
ing the militia nor any of the officers are
nominated to the Senate. Every appoint
ment rests entirely with the President"
An Immensely Popular Selection.
A large number of members of the Dis.
trict of Columbia National Guard, including
commissioned officers and enlisted men.
were seen this afternoon by a Star re-
porter. who gave them their first inttrnation
that Maj. George II. Harries ha. been an
pointed brigadier general commanding the
District of Columbia militia, to succeed the
late Gen. Albert Ordway. That the an
pointment of Maj. Harries to the command
OF the brigade is almost unanimously popu-
lar there can be no doubt, judging from
the expressions of satisfaction and good
VIII uttered by those who will serve under
the new appointee. Maj. Harries' energy
Is well known, and there seems to he no
doubt that as brigade commander he will
infuse as much activity throughout the
brigade as he has lone in the department
OF rine practice, OF Which he has been the
mead FOR q number of wears, ano which he
mas niade second TO none as regards the
National Guard. of the entire country.
1t seemed to be the consensus of opinion
that the District National Guard will un-
dergo a thorough awakening, although the
direction of Its affairs will unquestionably
be along the same lines as was the case
when Gen. Ordway was living. Maj. Har-
ries was the right-hand man and confiden-
tial friend of the late general, and it is un-
derstood that Gen. Ordway consulted Mai.
Harries in regard to every important action
that was contemplated by the general so
far as the National Guard was concerned.
Maj Harries has, therefore, become thor
ougEly imbued with the ideas possessed by
Gen. Ordway As one prominent officer ex-
pressed himself: THE welfare of .he Dis
trict National Guard is in the best possible
hands,"
Commissioner Ross-"Maj. Harries' expe-
rience ana fame ought to fit him to be n
most successful commander-in-chief of the
District Of Columbia militia 1 have no
doubt that the people of the District will
rejoice at his appointment. could not say
any more If l talked for an hour
Col. William G. Moore, superintendent of
police-'"The long experience of Gen. Har-
rfes in the service of the National Guard
and his acknowledged abilities make him a
worthy successor of the lamented Gen.
tContinucd on second Page.)