Evening star., 1900-05-19
Disposition of May Case Expected
Early Next Week.
STATUS OF PENDING CONTROVERSY
Work Preliminary to Encampment
Ordered by Headquarters.
FOR PAY OF TROOP S


those who ought to know, Will be honora-
bly, discharged from the District of Column
bia National Guard. Developments of def
mite character are expected within very
few days. According to National Guards
men familiar with the facts there has ex-
listed from the start absolutely no question
to the final outcome of the interesting
little controversy. Col May stands re-
Eeved from the command of the 1st Regi-
ment, and it is declared with positiveness he
will never be restored to duty under his
present commission Judging from the in
formation to be obtained from headquar-
ters the likelihood is that he will cease to
be an officer of the District of Columbia
National Guard before the end of next
week.
The status of the case seems to be gen.
orally misunderstood The sole point at is
sue and which was passed upon. so it is re-
ported by the judge advocate general of
the army several days ago. involves a tech
nicality pure and simple. Section % of the
act of March l. 1SS], providing for the or
sanization of the militia of the District of
Columbia, provides that every person ac-
cepting an election or nomination as ali Of
ficer shall appear before an examining
board to be appointed by the commanding
general" etc.
Section "a of the militia law provides that
commissioned officer may be honorably
discharged, among other causes upon a
report of board of examination or for
failure to appear before such board when
ordered 1t will be noted that in framing
section "a the words "to be appointed by
the commanding general were for some
reason omitted
Section 60 of the militia law provides
that the commanding general subject to
the approval of the commander-in-chief is
authorized to make and publish regulations
for the government of the militia in al
not fl.c ,;fS
law" etc.
Sole Contention of Col. May.
The sole contention of Col. May is that
section "a. not specifically providing in so
many words that the board of examina-
ton before which he was ordered to an
pear should be appointed by the command
ing general, and the President not having
approved a regulation in connection with
section "A. the appointing of the board by
the commanding general was not legal
rms IS the on!y point passed on by the
Judge advocate general of the army The
matter OF the personnel of the board it is
understood, has never been officially ques-
toned.
To sum up, the Judge advocate general
or the army has merely decided a technical
point involving the wording of the District
militia law, n point that has never before
been raised. The sustaining of the conten-
ton means only that the technicality must
be corrected This Is considered a very sim
pie procedure. AS stated, Developments of
a definite character are expected in the
very near future In the meantime Lieut.
Col. Burton r. Ross continues in command
of the 1st Regiment.
Pay of the Guardsmcn.
National Guardsmen generally are pleased
with the success Of Cen Harries in Induce
ing the conferees considering the District
of Columbia appropriation Eill to insert in
the bill the item a 20,
troops. The House of Representatives elm
ir ated the item. Persevering efforts In
duced the Senate to restore it, and the con-
ferees finally concluded to permit 1t to re-
main In making the announcement the
legislators, 1t is understood assured Gen
Harries that their action was an evidence
Of the confidence they felt In him and in
his administration of local National Guard
affairs.
The money for pay of troops Is to be ex
pended under the direction of the com
manding general. No definite plan has
been decided on, but as heretofore stated in
The Star, the idea is to allow each officer
and man a certain amount a day, on a
basis of 3G5 days to the year. The paw. OF
course, will be graded according to rank.
Deductions will be made for absence from
drills, parades, encampments, Inspections,
rife practice and the like. This is a. step
in the right direction, and the rank and
file Of the local organized militia sincerely
hope that ultimately they will receive for
their services what will approximate to a
degree at least, the recognition accorded
the citizen soldiery of the several states
AS part of the provision allowing nav
for troops the following stipulation is Of
interest:
THAT members Of the National Guar5
who receive compensation for their services
as such shall not be held or construed to be
officers of the United States or persons
holding any place of trust profit or dis
charging any official function under or in
connection with any executive department
of the government of the United States
within the provision of section 549S of the
Revised Statutes Of the United States"
Site of Encampment.
The site of the coming encampment of the
troops of the District of Columbia National
Guard continues a matter of conjecture A
very large number of places are under con-
siGeration. and the poorest of them is de-
sirable. The powers that be have practi-
cally reached conclusion regarding the
location of the village of tents however
and details are being arranged accordingly
1t is not considered prudent to make the
plans public, though. until the appropria-
the first day-perhaps the first two days-in
camp will be devoted to rife practice
There will be no practice marches during
the camp proper.
quarter ending June 80 next will be omit
ted. In a general order Just issued from
militia headquarters organization command
directed to give special care to
every detail of drill and administration in
order that the semi-annual inspection, to
be held during the camp, may reflect cred
1t upon the entire brigade and show i'm
provement over any previous inspection.
1t is further ordered that preliminary in
struction In extended order and general
camp duties must be given each organZa-
tiop before going into camp. Such instruc-
ton 1T is pointed out must be thorough
and complete in order that time while
in camp may be lost in perfecting minor
details. and in order that drills and ma-
neuvers of q more extended character may
be begun at once.
Rulings by Headquarters.
Headquarters has made ruling to the
effect that hereafter when line officer is
transferred to the staff staff officer to
the line with the same rank he held pre-
vious to transfer he shall have the relative
rank the date OF his first commission would
entitle him to. This ruling will correct an
evil said to have existed since the organ
ization of the guard. Heretofore when an
officer, after years Of service, has been
transferred from one organization to an
other he has been commissioned anew. with
consequent loss of relative rank, based on
date of commission.
1t has also been decided that the medical