Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Orders for the Grand Army
Escort Duty.
JACKIES URITICISED
REGULARS WILL COMPETE IN
oRDwAY RIFLE MATCHES.
Staff Officers to Discuss New Uniform
Contest at Ottawa-Proposed
Reserve Force.
JACKIES URITICISED

Lieut.. Col Theodore Mosher, adjutant
general of the District Of Columbia Militia.
will resume his duties at headquarters next
! Monday morning after soJourn or Two
months at the Warm Springs, Va. One of
Adjutant Gen. Mosher's first official acts
upon taking charge of the office will be to
| issue general order covering the turnout
of the District National Guard, Tuesday,
| October Z, part of the escort OF the
Naval Veterans of the Grand Army of the
| Republic. The parade will start shortly
after 10 o'clock in the morning and the
| local brigade of citizen soldiery, in all
probability will be ordered to form an hour
| before that time.
The return of Col Mosher, the indi-
cations are will very soon be followed by
action of radical nature pertaining to the
| naval battalion. Gen. Harries has fully
made up his mind that something must be
done to correct certain undesirable con-
dltlonS that exist in the organization OF
jackies. He has delayed applying remedy
only because of the absence from the city
| of his adjutant general That something Is
wrong in the naval battalion there can be
| no doubt, so it is authortatively declared.
| Two officers of the general staff have made
observations and submitted lengthy re-
| ports regarding the status Of affairs afoat,
| of late, and 1t is understood that their rec
| concentrations coincide to what should
| be done At all events one thing seems to
| be certain. 1t is that the vacancy in the
| post of commander the ranking officer Of
| the battalion, will not be filled until a re-
| tired officer of the United States navy,
| competent and willing to perform the duties
| of the office, is found.
Regulars at Ordway Competitions.
| Arrangements are rapidly nearing COM
| pletion for the annual rifle competitions of
the District of Columbia National Guard,
| to occur at the Ordway range Wednesday,
| Thursday and Friday, October %, % and
| "a The program of events Is to remain
practically the same that of last year.
with the addition, however, of a special
skirmish match. This will be open not only
! to District guardsmen, but to teams of reg
ulars from Fort Myer and the Washington
| barracks and to representatives of the
| United States marine corps Every effort
| is to be made to secure the participation of
| large number Of regulars.
| The LIST Separate Battalion completed it's
official rifle practice at the range last Thurs
| day. The naval battalion is the only or
| ganization that has not finished the re-
| qured outdoor work before the targets. 1t
will visit Ordway next Tuesday, starting
| from the Fern promptly at $50 o'clock a. m.
The Ordway range will be open to indi-
| viduals to complete their ordered practice
| Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays until
| the 1st of November
AAO NS" ~ 111o4M S1oCAs
The Monday evening meetings of the gen.
eral staff will be resumed in the near flu
ture. One OF the first subjects Gen. Harries
| has planned to discuss with his staff Off
GERS to dispose Of is that relating to what
portion of the new uniform order for the
army should apply to the National Guard
| The local Brigade it appears to be certain,
| will go to camp next summer in the olive
| drab field dress but 1t is problematical
whit oh ~ fhn ty,1a NF nrfy plac of
clothing and equipment the army must pro-
cure will be adopted for the District Ma
! tional Guard.
board of officers consisting of NAL
| Capt. Edward F. Riggs, aid-de-camp, and
| Capt. c. Fred Cook, aid-de-camp, District
of Columbia militia. met at the Center Mar
ket armory last Wednesday and inspected
and condemned large quantity of govern
ment property. The latter included all
manner of uniforms and equipments that
because of long use have become I'M
Servceable.
International Match at Ottawa.
| The general opinion of those who ought
| to know seems to be that the all-American
team made an entirely satisfactory showing
in the recent contest at Ottawa, Canada,
for the Palma trophy. A member Of the
all-American party has the following to say
| regarding the competitions:
| caused the defeat of our team. In the
morning of the day the match was shot a
strong o'clock wind was blowing, and we
| beat the English team % points at 800
| yards. Toward noon the sun appeared and
| the wind diminished. During the afternoon
we had a 5-to-7 O'clock tish-tail wind.
Whenever the sun would disappear beneath
a cloud we would gain, but when it shone
the British would work the mirage move
ment for windage. Right there is where
we lost the match, as the wind flags indi-
Gated absolutely nothing. 1 am satisfied
that our team was as strong as any in the
world. Our rifles and ammunition were
| superior to those of the British, and our
men were better holders than they, but
| they We're the more experienced
| An all-American team will very likely be
| sent to Bisley, England, next year, to en-
deavor to wrest the Palma trophy from the
| Britishers.
Second Line of Defense.
| In an article on Our Second Line of De-
| Tense" setting forth some of the general
| advantages of a well organized militia,
| General Charles Dick of Ohio, chairman of
| the committee on militia, House Of Repre-
| sentatives has the following to say:
| 1.-The only way to bring national
| guard UP to a high state Of efficiency is to
pass a federal law which will make them
| in fact as well in name, national
| guard and which will insure their uniform
| equipment and drill. They should be armed
| and equipped just as the regular army Is
| armed and equipped, and they should have
| the same discipline and instruction so far
| as possible in the limited time that can be
| given for that purpose. State troops
should go to camp under conditions as near
| ly as possible approximatng those of actual
| war. State troops and regular troops
should be camped together, SO that the
| former may have the benefit of the expert
| ence and skill of the latter.
| 1.-The volunteer should bunk as the regu-
| lar hunks. should live on the same ration,
| and should prepare his meals just as the
| regular prepares them under service con-
| ditions Volunteer soldiers should be train
| ed in carrying the same aecouterments
| that they would carry in actual warfare
! The government should make liberal appro-
| priations for target practice. Aiming and
| pointing drills should be given to all vol
| unteers and they should all be given an op-
portunity every year of firing on the ranges
| Depots should be established for reserves
| of arms and equipment, and these should
| be so distributed throughout the 'country
| that there need be no delay in equipptng a
| volunteer force when called for duty.
In Fancied Security.
'4This subject has been considered Of suf-
| ficient Importance to have the attention of
nearly every President from Washington to