The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-05-11
NATIONAL GUARD AFFAIRS
A Higher Grade Probable in the
Inspection and Muster.
Efforts to bring Up the standard of
the Various Commands-Dischar
for Those Who Fail to Attend Driu
-Camp site Not Yet Selected.


available ii is easy to see that the vari-
| Gus commands of the District National
Guard will make a much higher grade in
the annual inspection and muster now in
progress than was attained last year.
| Charles H. ouraRd, Inspector General,
| has been extremely busy every night of
the present week. Battalions have been
| inspected and the work is now nearly
| completed. Last year the figures We're
rather low. so low in fact that when the
general order for inspection and muster
was issued recently there was especial
mention made of it.
As a consequence every officer has been
making strenuous efforts to bring up the
| standard OF his command. Perhaps one
| of the most potent reasons for the low
| figures last year was the amount of dead
material in the ranks of the various COM
panies. The marks are made on the at
| tendance and some companies had large
numbers of members who seldom attended
drills. During the past year the dead
| ones have been generally cleaned out.
The individual championship match was
| shot at the Centre Market range last
night and Lieut.. w. W. Cookson, of the
Sixth Battalion, put another spike in his
claim as marksman by winning the
! event handily, with a score of 1874. The
match closed the gallery practice for the
| season. Nine men who had made the high
| est scores.in the company, battalion, and
! regimental matches at the four stages
| during the past season were eligible to
compete in the match last night, but only
| SIX of them put in an appearance.
| The score, which follows. indicates the
records at 200, 300. 500, and 500 yards re-
| spectively, and the total: Lieut. w. w.
| Cookson, IS. so, 80, 4S-194; Lieut. Horace
NJ Bell. "A, IS, AZ, 49-1Ss: Major W. E.
Harvey, 4S, 80 As. 47-lS7: Lieut. F. w
Holt, 70, 40. 40. ISIS: Lieut. w. NJ. Far
row. ~, IS, 20, 47-1S2; Capt Sheridan Fer
rec. IS, 46, "A, 47-1S2
Attention of the riaemen will now be
| turned to practice for the big matches at
| Sea Girt in September Major Bell In
| spector General of Rife Practice is high
| ly elated at the splendid records made
this season. However, there will be no
resting on laurels Orders will be issued
this week regarding the manner in which
the brigade team which will represent the
| District at Sea Girt win be made up On
| the 10Th, 18th, and 2lst of this month the
range at Ordway, which has been thor
oughly repaired and is in splendid condi-
ton, will be open for voluntary practice
by those who desire to try for places on
the brigade team.
After that date the range will be open
! to all of the forty-three men who will be
ordered to practice for the brigade team
/ Twenty-Five of this number will be Sc
| lected from the Second Regiment, eighteen
from the First Regiment, and three
| from the First Separate Battalion
OF this number the twelve making the
highest scores win be selected to form n
/ oth rr
the twelve men who made up the brigade
team last year. The first practice of these
candidates will take place on May 80 at
Ordway. Later the twelve making the
best showing will be selected as the bril-
gade team and the four standing next
highest as substitutes.
| This team, when it has finally been or
ganjzed through this course of elimina-
] ton, viii uphoIu the honor of the Dis
| trict National Guard at Sea Girt, where
1t will meet teams from seventeen
States. The Guardsmen are confident that
they win retain the Soldier of Mara
thon." the trophy won at the Interstate
match last year, and hope TO capture the
coveted Hilton trophy, now held by the
New York team.
Everything pertaining to the arms used
| by the members of the teams will be new.
| The Krag-Jorgensen rifles will soon be
given out by Major Bell.
Nothing definite is yet known in re-
| gard to the location of the next camp
However, 1t is probable that the site will
| be announced by June l. The command
| ing officer of the District Guard has dur
! ing the week past visited a large num-
Der of desirable places, but all of them
| point. There remain five places which
have been offered as sites for the camp.
| These are all more than ten or twelve
\ miles from the city, and all of them in
| Maryland Speculation among the Guards
men as to the location is more than
| general and it is doubtful if there was
ever keener interest taken in the mat
| ter.
1t has been suggested that this year
| the camp be located some place within
| easy access of the city. either on the
street car lines or on one of the rail-
| roads. This would enable large numbers
| OF Washington people to visit the camp
| daily. However, this idea does not meet
with exactly overwhelming approval.
The members of the Guard who regard
the annual encampment as time when
the citizen soldiery should gain as much
| possible say that proximity 10 the city
| means severe strain on discipline. They
| argue that the presence of a large num-
| Der OF visitors will attract the soldiers
| from their duties and that if street cars
or railroad trains are convenient the
| boys in blue viii often succumb to the
| temptation TO visit the city.
| Naturally enough, in view of the alb
| sence of the canteen, the trips to Wash
| ington would not be entirely wi .hout UNI
| desirable results The fact of the matter
is that there win probably be more drunk
| enness IN camp this year than ever be-
| fore on account of the absence of the
canteen. The alluring influence of the
J city, added to this fact, it is feared will
| cause many breaches OF discipline. Con-
| sequently there is a strong feeling that
| the camp should be located at such a dis
| lance from Washington that the soldiers
| could not easily reach the city and return
| to camp within the time limit of their
passes. The desirable class of citizens
| who have friends and relatives in the
| Guard could conveniently visit the camp
under these conditions.
| The resignation of Capt. w. T. H. King
| which was rendered several weeks ago
| has been accepted. Captain King was the
| efficient commanding officer of Company
| B of the Fifth Battalion. He is also a
| member of brokerage firm and his bust
| ness interests demanded so much atten-
| ton that he was unable to give to his
| command the attention 1t deserved.
| Sergt Charles l.. Smell has been elected
| second lieutenant of Company B. Second
| Battalion. and has been ordered to report
| for examination on May Is
Private Albert Weir has been elected
| second lieutenant of Company B OF the
| Fifth Battalion and ordered to report for
| examination on May 10.
The following have been ordered hon
| orably discharged from the service on
| their own application: Privates Bernhard
| Niemeyer, Signal Corps; Isaiah Cox Com
| pany C. First Battalion; Henry c. Fret
l tag. Ambulance Corps; Edwin ID. Smith
| and Frank Brahker, Company A, Third
| Battalion.
| on account of removal from the District
| the following have been ordered honora-
| bly, discharged from the service: Privates
| Edward II. Morrow. j. p. Wayland, and