Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-07
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Checks in Payment for Ser
vices Have Been Issued.
ARMY WAR COLLEGE
LOCAL BRIGADE WILL NOT AT
TEND CORNER STONE LAYING.
New Regimental Sergeant MajorlTo
Send Rifle Team Abroad-The
Militia Law.
ARMY WAR COLLEGE


in government employ will receive pay
ment for services rendered during the six
months ended December 81 last just as
| soon as their respective commanding offi-
| GERS arrange to distribute the checks. The
latter were mailed late yesterday to the
several organization commanders by Cap.
Andrew Parker, the acting paymaster OF
| the militia, so that the guardsmen entitled
! to pay should now receive the same with
out further delay
| The official program for the ceremonies
| incident to laying the corner stone of The
Army War College on the Washington bar
racks reservation recently announced by
| Gen. Gillespie, chief Of engineers, who has
| been appointed by Secretary Root master
| of ceremonies for that occasion, makes no
| reference to the District National Guard,
| so that 1t Is practically a certainty that
the local brigade will not participate. 1t
was originally intended to have the cere-
monies on Washington's birthday anniver-
sary. but as that anniversary this year
falls on Sunday it was decided to lay the
| corner stone Saturday, February q, at
| 11:2O o'clock in the morning. The under
standing several weeks ago was that che
District GuardSmen would be invited to
| take part in the exercises.
New Regimental Sergeant Major.
| major in the person Of John H Ontrich.
He began his military career as a member
Of the High School Cadets and for one
| year was sergeant major Of the regiment
| OF High School Cadets. Next Mr.. Ontrich
| Joined forces with the Morton Cadets
| Company B, I'd Battalion, D. c. N. G. AT
| the outbreak of the war with Spain he en-
| listed in Company G, 1st District Of Column
| hia Infantry, United States Volunteers. AT
| Tampa he was assigned to duty with the
Hospital Corps and proceeded to Jackson
| vile, where later he contracted typhoid
| fever and was sent home.
| Mr.. Ontrich succeeded Herbert w. Meyers,
whose enlistment as sergeant major of the
| LIST Regiment expired the Sd instant. Mr..
Meyers served with the Maryland National
| Guard prior to coming to Washington and
| joining the District National Guard as a
| private of Company D, I'd Battalion. After
| being promoted to first sergeant, he was
! transferred to the I'd Battalion staff, and
| major. Mr.. Meyers is an enthusiastic men,
Der Of Harden Command, Spanish War Vet
| Grams. and at present is serving as abide
| camp to Commander Urell.
To Send Rifle Team Abroad.
| General Harries and Major Bell will prob
| ably attend the annual meeting Of the
| board Of directors of the National Rifle AS
| ISOLATION Of America to be held in the Old
| Guard Armory, 49th street and Broadway,
| New York city, next Tuesday evening, at
| $50 o'clock.
Action will be taken at the meeting upon
| the proposition to send a national rifle team
| to England next summer to compete for the
| Palma trophy. The committee on the pro-
| motion of rifle practice which was appoint
| ed to confer with the President and Secre-
| tary Of War in reference to matters of vast
| Importance to rifle shooters and the associa-
| ton will make its report upon its visit to
| this city and the results obtained. Officers
| for the ensuing year are to be elected, and
| also seven trustees to act with seven others
| to be appointed for the first time, by the
| President of the United States or the Sec
| rotary of War.
| The question of adopting Qualifying code
| for members of the associa lion, and the
giving of certificate or medal for such
| qualification, thereby building up classi-
| fed body of expert marksmen, who could
| be used by the government in case of war,
| will be acted upon
Many Ratings for Rifle Practice.
| Major Bell, Inspector general Of rifle prac-
| tice, District of Columbia militia, is COM
| piling statistics which he will submit to the
board of army officers revising the firing
regulations, showing the ratings Of rifle
| practice in force in the several states Re
ports have been received from New York,
| Idaho, Illinois, District of Columbia, Cali
fornia Maine, Texas, Iowa, West Virginia,
J Minnesota, New Jersey, Delaware, Ver-
mont, Wisconsin, Michigan. Colorado. Kan
| sas, Ohio, Oregon, Maryland, Washington,
| Massachusetts, South Carolina, Georgia. In
| diana. Pennsylvania Connecticut, Okla
hOma, Nebraska and Rhode Island. These
reports show that fully a dozen ratings are
recognized, as follows: Distinguished sharp
| shooter, distinguished marksman, distin-
| guished riieman, expert sharpshooter,
| marksman, rifleman, first-class marksman,
frst-class, second-class, third-class, fourth
class.
The elliptical target is used by the Dis
| trict Of Columbia, California, Maine, Texas
Iowa. West Virginia, New Jersey, Ohio,
| Maryland, Massachusetts, Georgia, Penn
| sylvania, Connecticut, Nebraska and Rhode
Island. while Minnesota, Vermont, Michi-
gan and washington use the silhouette tar
get. Illinois employs both the elliptical and
the silhouette styles in the rife work.
| The desire IS to have a uniform rating
and conditions in the National Guard gem
| orally and for the army. The board of Of
| ficers will consider carefully the statistics
| gathered by Major Bell and will prepare
| and recommend for adoption one standard
| for all.
Appropriation for National Trophy.
The army appropriation bill as 1t recently
| passed the Senate embraced an amendment
providing that for the purpose Of furnish
| ing national trophy and medals and other
prizes to be provided and contested for an
nually, under such regulations as may be
|
| contest to be open to the army and the
| National Guard or organized militia of the
| several states. territories and OF the Dis
| trict Of Columbia. and for the tost of the
! trophy, prizes and medals the sum of 50 soc
| be annually appropriated to be expended fol-
| the purposes prescribed under the direction
| of the Secretary of War"
The bill introduced by Representative
| Mondell last May for a national trophy and
| prizes for rifle competition provided for ar
| annual appropriation of $4,000. An effort
will be made to have the. conferees in the
| army appropriation bill raise the amount
| from $500 to $4,000. It is pointed out tina
| the necessity for the appropria ton of SO.
600 Is apparent from the following schedule
| of essential disbursements:
| The national trophy, design and cost OF
| casting. 81, 500: cost of medals for first team
$500; first prize. the national trophy and
| cash, 81. 200; second prize, the Hilton trophy
and cash. 81. 200: third prize the interstat e
trophy and cash. $500: fourth prize, cash
| $500; fifth prize. cash. $500; sixth prize
cash, 500; necessary expenses of competi-
| lions, including the subsistence of Compel
ing teams, $37o0. Total. $4,000
1t Is proposed that the national trophy
shall be cast at tho Washington navy ward
| from cannon captured in foreign war The
| Hilton trophy. second prize, was donated
| by Henry Hilton. and is valued at $4,000
| The interstate trophy third prize desip.