Evening star., 1900-07-25
THE WAR SECRETARY
Mr.. Boot Will Visit Camp Ordway
This Afternoon.
PREPARATIONS MADE TO RECEIVE him
Exciting Time Last Night and
Many Arrests Made.
BEER EVIDENTLY THE CAUSE

CAMP ORDWAY. GAITHERSBURG, Nd,
July 25.-Private Secretary w. S. Coursey
this morning teegraphed Gen. Harries that
| the Secretary of War would visit Camp
| Ordway this afternoon. The trip from
| Washington will be made upon the 3:15
train. and Major Walter D. Davidge, jr.,
| judge advocate general, District of Column
bia militia, will act as Gen Harries' per-
! sonal representative in escorting Secretary
Root to Gaithersburg. The party will be
met at the depot by Adjutant General
Love and conducted to the camp site,
where they will be received with fitting
military ceremony. The salute will be
fired by Light Battery A Secretary Root
will remain in camp until after the dress
parade and review. which promises to be
| by far the most excellent one of the
campment. He will then return to Wash
| ington on a special train that has been ar
| ranged for him.
| The troops of the District of Columbia
National Guard are indulging in field ma
neuvers this afternoon, preliminary to more
| ella aborate exercises that have been mapped
out for tomorrow. Five battalions are now
in the field. and each is waging little war
| of its own. The weakest company of each
battalion has intrenched itself. and the
other three companies are endeavoring to
/ take the several positions The companies
intrenched are firing away with great gusto
| ten rounds of blank ammunition per man,
while each man in the attacking forces has
five rounds. The maneuvering is certainly
| instructive, and will lead to good work to-
morrow. The officers of the general staff
are with the commanding general observing
the work.
| General Muster Tomorrow.
| A general muster of the entire brigade
occupied the entire morning 1t was con-
Quoted by Maj. Charles H. Ourand, inspec-
tor general and proved entirely satisfac-
! tory, to judge from observation. A COM
munication has been received from Lieut..
| Gen. Miles stating that much to his regret
| he will be unable to visit the camp, an en-
gagement of long standing requiring his
presence in Pennsylvania this week.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Hackett
has also sent his regrets. he being now on
vacation at Newcastle. n. H.
The efficiency which your command has
! reached. said the assistant secretary in
his letter. "and the high standard which
| the soldiers of the District have steadily
maintained combine to render especially
attractive the opportunity to visit their en-
! campment. The citizens of the District are
justly proud of this body of men, and 1
j congratulate you that you have the honor
/ to command them"
| The Signal Corps today received ball time
! over its Western Union wire, and exactly
/ at noon the signal flag dropped. The camp
/ telegraph instrument has direct communi-
| cation with the electric clock at the OBJ
/ servatory in Washington and receives the
| time simultaneously with the entire West
! ern Union system.
Attempt to Exclude Beer.
There was some disturbance last night in
| camp. as a result of which a large number
| of officers and men were kept awake until
several hours after taps had sounded. Ex-
| ira companies ordered out to assist
| nd ,har of
! men placed under arrest. Local option
I prevails in Montgomery county and COM
/ plant was made by a number of represen-
/ tative citizens that certain residents of
! Gaithersburg and Its immediate locality
| had been securing intoxicating liquor on
| the camp grounds. An order was there
| upon issued directing that liquor be al
| lowed to be brought within the inclosure.
| 1t so happened mat the 1st Battalion
had planned a reception or entertainment
of some sort for last evening, and it is fur
! ther stated in connection Herewith that a
| large quantity of beer had been ordered
( The order for lne exclusion of liquor com
| ing at the time 1t did was regarded by the
| members of the 1st Battalion as having
| been inspired solely by their plans for the
reception. incidentally Colonel Ureu. com
manding the ID Regiment, and II Is r,,-
mored. one or two other officers were halt
| ed by a sentinel on entering the camp
| grounds last evening and required to dis
| close whether or not they Were in possess
sion OF liquor Colonel Uren expressed
| great Indignation at what he termed the
| outrage he was required to submit to and
| the officers of the Is. Battalion cannot
truthfuliy be said to have been in a pleas
| ant frame of mind.
No Order From Headauarters
Inquiry at headquarters brought to light
, the fact that absolutely nothing In the wav
| OF orders to sentineis to search officers had
emanateu there. In fact, the powers Of the
camp gave expression to great surprise that
such thing could have occurred
| Iattoo sounded at the usual hour and On
uiu taps Inc camp was quiet for some lii
9G Ge 9line. ana then there was a change
headquarters We're notified by rcsponsibIa
onlcers that the 1st Battalion practica1I,.
as an entire:y, had formed and. undar
, march from the camp. " ~
/ The explanation was that the con,r,,,
INTENDED TO go after the beer that had beer
] orGered and which it had not been ner-
/ mitted to bring into the camn Cp.
/ Hedgeson Company ID. ID BattaIio, -
was ofhcers of the day. telephoned for in
( etluctiois' ana then declined to permit any
~ ~Shisteu man 10 leave the grounds, taps
having sounded some time previously Err
thei reports are to the effect that Some oy
the officers insisted on leaving. passina out
enlisted men with them. The officers were
but that in view of the emergency n,
enlisted men would be allowed out
Guards Ordered Out,
/ The officer Of the day assumed that mat
+ tiers had taken on a serious aspect, and re-
quested assistance Company d, % Rat
TALON, which had turned in, was hastily
ordered out A little later Capt G. Hodge
son found that large number of enIfstea
men had made dash through one of his
remote remote llnes and made their escape. By
direction of the adjutant general Comnany
! o. attn battalion. was then called our and
marched to the guard house at double. time
capt- Hodeeson established a line Of SEN
he.
ana gave orders that no one could pass In
or out without authority from him The
detail was also sent out on the road lead
/ inE to Gaithersburg
| BY this time several officers of the gem
I erai stan, including the instructor of the
! guard, were on the scene. Major Lee COM
mo LING he. Let