The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-04-30
Uncertainty Ofthe Situation Adds
TO General Dissatisfaction.
INCREASE OF QUOTA DFNIED
Gen. Harries and Adjt- Gen. Corbin
at Nariaucc-CoI. CrcII's Men Dis
gruntIed Over the Rumor That He
IL Not to Commend i'm Event OF
Their Going to the Front.

Guard is in the first stages of demorali
zation, and its partial disruption is als'
in sight
The uncertainty of the situation ha'
added TO the impatience of the members
The men claim that their wishes are no
being considered in the selection of th'
officers who will command the quota Il
go into service and that persons not nov
members of the guard are to be intro
duced as company officers.
1t will be remembered that until sew.
eral weeks ago the members of the com
panies elected their officers. Gen. George
II. Harries abolished this system and an
nounced that he would appoint them
Members of the Guard say that Gen
Harries should tell them specifically just
what he intends doing with them so that
they can make arrangements accordingly.
Gen. Harries has stated that he had a
verbal message from Secretary Alger that
the quota would be raised from a bat
TALON to a regiment
Yesterday Adjt. Gen. Corbin gave a
statement directly at variance with this.
There has been no increase In the quota
from the District and there win not be. .
he said.
well. general, it has been asserted that
Secretary Alger has assured Gen Harries
that he shall have a regiment How
about that?''
Il say there will not be''-he paused a
moment, and added. unless 1 have some
orders very different from what I have
already received. There are now more
volunteers than are called for, and we do
not know what to do with them unless the
President issues supplemental call. Then
the District might get regiment"
No preparation has been made for the
encampment of the militia, and it was
learned from the War Department that
it is not intended that ii shall go into
camp until needed for instant transporta-
ton South. why should il be in camp
and be drain on the department, when
it is not needed? There is nothing here
for it to guard" said an official who is
very close to Secretary Alger.
AT the armory groups OF men assembled
last night and discussed the situation
That they were not pleased was very evil
dent. Members of the Second Regiment
are particularly anxious that their COM
handing officer. Col. NJ. Emmett Uren,
shall not be superseded by anyone else
The selection of Gen. Harries will mean
the complete reorganization of the Dis
trict Guard, and already two states of
changes have been made. One is known
as the slate under consideration by Gen.
Harries. The other slate is described as
expressing the wishes of the men in the
Guard
The former is as follows: Colonel com
manding the regiment, Gen. Harries; lieu
tenant colonel Capt. HeyI, of the Regu-
lar Army, who is now adjutant general
of the militia; adjutant, James L. Mock
of the Second Regiment, or Adiutant
Donnelly, of the first regiment. Two ma
jors are provided for to a regiment in the
volunteer army bill, and 1t is believed
Gen. Harries has in mind selecting Col
Urell as one of them. The other will
likely be Major Simonson or Capt. Ross,
of the Washington Light Infantry, which
is in the First Regiment. Col. AIexan-
der, now commanding the First Regi-
ment is said to have been selected TO re-
main in Washington and conduct the
Guard. Then there will come the filling
of the position of quartermaster. now
held in the Second Regiment by Capt
Jacobs.
On the other hand is what is known as
the popular slate with Gen. Harries stay
ing at home as bTigadier general and Col
Urell as the commanding officer of the reg
iment to go TO the front There would be
no change in his staff. Lieut. Col
o Brien, Adjt. Mock, and Quartermas ter
Jacobs and Regimental Surgeon r. a
Pyles would all be retained. Necessity
will compel a change in the majors 1t
has been suggested that from the First
Regiment the Washington Light Infantry
would be chosen and in that event Capt
Ross would, perhaps, be one of the
majors. The other one from the Second
Regiment would be either Major Hodg-
son or Major Simonson. From there on
down there would be no changes in the
company officers and this is what the
men announce as their emphatic wishes
Col Urell, however, insists that he is
ready and willing TO obey orders and that
he knows nothing as to what will be
Gone. 1t is very likely the men viii take
the matter in hand themselves. however.
and make their wishes known at the War
Department and the Executive Mansion
1t was learned last night at the War
Department that an official communica-
ton had been sent TO Gen. Harries. which
Is supposed to be the official announce
ment of the change of the quota from a
battalion to regiment. This action was
brought about against the wishes of Adit
Gen Corbin through the influence of
Nice-President Hobart, who is a close rel
ative of Col. Heyl. the adjutant general