Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07
Lieut.. Frank L. Graham to Be Major
of Sixth Battalion.
Maj BURTON R. ROSS ALSO PROMOTED
Presence Of Liquor at Armory Cause
Of investigation.
ACTIVITY IN ATHLETIC s


tenant Frank L. Graham. adjutant of the
6th Battalion. to be major Of that battalion.
to succeed Major Henry Il. LOCKER. resign
ed, and the tender of the lieutenant colonel
cy Of the 1st Regiment to Major Burton r.
boss. commanding the LIST Battalion.
Major Graham mas been an enthusiastic
gudTCsinau for many years past. He was
at one time in the regular establishment.
and during the war with Spain commanded
Company l. Of the LIST District of Columbia
Volunteer Infantry. Major Graham proved
one of the most successful and popular
company commanders in the regiment. He
is expert marksman.
Major Ross is too well known in Wash
ingJOu 20 need special mention in this con-
nection. He has been connected with local
military matters in a decidedly active man
per for more than twenty-oue years, and
with the guard since its organization. As
Instructor OF the high SchOoi Cadets he has
earned an enviable reputation.
Major Ross successor as commanding
ofhcer of the LIST Battalion is a matter of
conjecture. 1t is stated to be a possibility
that the four companies of the battalion
Will De consolidated into two companies
and in that event the selection of a new
major would be unnecessary.
Orders an InvestiEation
General Harries has directed Captain Da-
pray, special inspector and instructor, to
investigate the alleged introduction of in
toXicaiing liquor into the quarters of Com
pany a. 9TH Eatta ion, upon two recent Oc-
Casions. when q commissioned officer and
battalion nou-commissioned officer were
reported to have been present. The orders
on this subj'ct are 50 well defined and so
c"nspicuouSly posted throughout the ar
mory buildings that the commanding gen
efdt can see no excuse Tor any disregard OF
them- He has made it a fixed rule that
liquor shall not he introduced into the
quarters, not even on the so-cdled smoker
nights, ana, during the past few months
has denied authority to organizations to
make intoxicating liquor a feature of any
Of the receptions or other social gatherings
in the dTmory building.
In some instances it has been represented
TO the headquarters officials that keg or
two Of beer might be an active auxiliary in
bringing together certain members of the
guard who feel either Indifference or lack
Of interest in thu performance of military
duties: but the official opinion is that if
there really are any such men in the guard
who can only be attracted to the armOry
building by So questionable an incentive il
IS about time To discover who such men
are and to what extent their officers are
inctFah.e of enforcing official military re-
agreements governing their attendance.
HabituaI Absentees.
In this connection the fact may be men
toned that, while under the Interpretation
itary authorities have not the power to alb
soIU.-ly enforce the attendance of MEM
beers OF tho guard at any prescribed assem-
by for duty, it is nevertheless the ayowcd
policy ut headquarters to weed out Of the
guard The naJitudl absentees or otherwise
luktW rIl guardsmeu- To this end the
SPECIAL inspector has been generally in
str-et-l To make careful inquiry during his
rounds al inspection as 10 what if any
men are III the habit of abSentinS them
selves from urI.i and other prescribed mill
t'tFS assemblies without proper authority.
Il 7t d. itInd that any guardSran is per
Slst,ufE G.rrl!ct or defiant of the orders
Tor ms attendance on prescribed occasions
he viii De- duly arraigned and punished
And the methods heretofore adopted re-
S5rdlnE such deiinqUeutS. as giving a sim
pie discharge in the interest of the service
Will give place 10 more rigid methods of
military discipline. For example anv sol
der found cUlpablc in this regard if not
discharged without honor. Will be subjected
I" trial by genera. cOuTt-mlrtiaI which
VIII doubtless result in the dishonora bic
discharge from service, and that fact will
be duly published in orders
In Interest of Service.
While in times past certain men have not
regarded the simple discharge in the in
terest OF the service" to carry with it any
faint or odium. 1t is not believed at head
quarters that any reputable citizen of this
community would willingly merit. under
the rule now fixed, dishonorable dismissal
from the military establishment which
under his oath Of enlistment he had sworn
to uphold and Loyalty maintain. In other
words, dishouorable discharge hereafter
from the National Guard will mean some
thing.
Arent the subject of the right Of the
military authorities to enforce the attend
ance OF National Guardsmen at certain
prescribed occasions the fact may be men
toned that in some of the states the man
who Is absent without authority can be
sent for and produced.
Provisions of Law
Indeed, that Congress intended to give
the District military commanders full and
complete authority over the members there
Of would seem to be manifest in that sec
ton Of the law under the head Military
Duties" which provides as follows:
That any drill. parade. encampment or
duty that Is required. ordered or authorized
10 be performed under the provisions of
this act, shall be deemed to be a military
duty, and while on such duty every officer
and enlisted man of the National Guard
shall be subject To the lawful orders of his
superior officers and for any military Of
Tense may be put and kept under arrest or
under guard for time not extending be-
You'd the term Of service for which he is
then ordered"
Instances Few.
Happily for the National Guard. few in
stances have ever arisen wherein rigorous
methods were deemed necessary for the in
siStence upon attendance. A few men who
from time 10 time have been indifferent or
insubordinate have been treated upon the
theory that quick radiance of them was the
best policy. and under the decisions AT
Headquarters that radiance would hereafter
De emphasized in a manner which would
place the inSubordinate in an unenyiable
light among his fellow citizens
Among other matters intrusted to Captain
Dapray TO adjust in the near future is that
OF the civic rules. bylaws and CONSTITUTIONS
Of certain organizations in the guard and
TO determine and report upon the extent
to which such rules conflict with the regu-
latlons and law as fixed by Congress.
For example. in one battalion AT least
the bylaws provide for company delinouen
cy courts. 10 consist of three narsopc
whereas the law distinctly provides at
the company Court-martial shall consist of
one officer only OF the rank of lieutenant
The company delinquent court is allowed
10 impose fines upon. and therefore of
course, To try, commissioned officers. the
law pTcScribts that the trial of commits
stoned officers shall be by genera! court
martial, ordered by the commanding gen
eraI.
Further Provisions
The law also. it seems. provides that the