Evening star., 1903-11-07
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Gen. Harries' Opinion of the
Fort Riley Maneuvers.
CASE OF FRANK ROCHE
PRESENTATION OF RIFLE PRAC-
TICE PRIZES AND INSIGNIA.
Trial of a General Oficer-Compulsory
Military Service-Several
Notes of Interest.
CASE OF FRANK ROCHE

Responding to a request for an opinion as
20 the value OF the recent maneuvers at
Fort Riley Gen. Harries who witnessed the
same, makes the following interesting state
ment:
''One would need to be very extravagant
indeed to overestimate the good done by the
bringing together at Fort Riley of so many
organizations of the regular establishment
and the National Guard. OF the advantages
to the participating troops of the regular
army nothing need here be said The prin-
cipal beneficiaries were the officers and en-
listed men of the National Guard, for they
had excellent opportunity to compare them
selves with each other and finally, to make
comparison between themselves and the
professional soldier. When the joint ma
neuvers came to an end several of the Ma
tional Guard commands in camp were near
ly on a par with those of the regulars so
far as police and sanitation were concerned;
two or three were evidently inferior and one
was conspcuously lOw-grade. AS might be
expected the troops whose camps were in
the best condition were superior In the
maneuvers and in all other respects. Dirty
company streets and struggling on the
march were closely related. Next year the
same lessons will not need to be learned by
the same men. so there will surely be mark
ed Improvement State and organization
pride will assert themselves and to such an
extent that within two or three years there
will be little cause for fair criticism. There
would have been less cause for criticism
this year had the troops from the states
gone to Riley organized as they ordinarily
The weak spots were the provisional
regiments; in which a large percentage of
officers and enlisted men knew nothing of
each other when they reached Riley. Much
of their time was necessarily devoted to mu-
tual study and the reaching of a conclusion
as to respective abilities
AN interesting feature of the assembly
was the excellent spirit generally In evil
dence throughout the National Guard. On
the part of the officers there was an evident
desire to learn as much as possible. while
the men were surely intent upon doing their
share of the work with enthusiasm. OF
course there were exceptions who came out
to have a good time and who probably did
not succeed in getting what they went for,
but the great body did about all that
expected of Ii by those whose expectations
were not over high.
Obedience to Regulations.
Next year the seriousness will be much
more marked. because a fair proportion of
the participants will have learned by hard
experience how essential II is to military
happiness that there be obedience to regula-
tions. desire to demonstrate the excellence
of the service ration and the exercise of
common everyday sense. Then, too, there
will be preparation before proceeding to
the rendezvous. Practice marches at homo
will tougher the men so as to make them
fit for participation IN the maneuvers and
there must be tightening of discipline all
the way from the last recruit up to the regi-
mental and brigade commanders.
Something will need to be done to inter-
est the enlisted man. While in the field 1t is
not easily feasible to amuse him except by
an occasional base ball game or a program
OF field sports. but 1t is always possible to
interest him. This can be accomplished by
taking him into the confidence of his SUI
periors after the fact. Beyond acquiring
Information as to the location of newly dis
covered and weary muscles or the where
abouts and character of blisters, the en-
listed man who tramps from fifteen to
twenty miles day and who stays back
with the reserve knows practically nothing
OF the maneuvers in which he has parti-
cipated. 1t would give him much enthus-
iasm II suitable officers were detailed to
lecture on the events of the day or the pre-
cedlng day so that he might have the salts
faction of knowing that while he was not
called upon to fire a shot his mere presence,
In the rear, really brought about the VIC
tory.
THE thought which I brought away with
me from Riley points directly to the neces-
sity for active schools of instruction for
National Guard troops expecting to parti-
c!pate in the mobiliza ton and maneuvers
with troops of the regular army"
Guilty Of Carelessness.
Private Frank Roche. Company M, I'd
Regiment. having been found guilty before
court-martial Of dsobedence of orders
and of handling a loaded rifle in a grossly
careless manner. thereby causing serious
injury to another soldier. was sentenced
by the court to be dishonorably DISCHARGED
from the National Guard OF the District of
Columbia.
A special order has been issued from
District militia headquarters setting forth
that: The sentence Is approved and Pri-
vate Roche is hereby dishonorably dis
charged from the National Guard Of the
District of Columbia"
The foregoing Is the outcome OF the ac-
cidental shooting of Corp. George L. Dietz.
Company NJ, I'd Regiment. May 20 last,
while at the Ordway rifle range.
Presentation of Prizes.
1t Is the desire of Maj. James E. Bell, in
spector general Of rifle practice that the
prizes offered in connection with the rifle
competitions held last week shall be pre-
sented to the winners at the same time the
rife practice insignia, earned during the
season just ended are distributed among
those entitled to the same. The indica-
tions are that the joint presentation will
be made an occasion Of unusual interest
and of ceremony
Mai. Bell hopes to be able to make requi-
sition next Monday for the insignia, and If
the requisition Is filled promptly 1t will be
possible to fix the date OF the presentation
for the latter part OF the present month.
The brigade band will very likely be In at
The trophy to be presented to the win
ming team in the Mosher match has been
procured. 1t is a silver cup Of artistic de-
sign, twelve inches In height.
The regular season of indoor rife prac-
tice is announced to begin early in Janu-
ary In December. however the usual pre-
liminary regimental team match will be
shot, and the gallery will be open for vol
untary practice during that month.
The National Rifle Association Of Amer
lea has forwarded q national marksman
button to each of the following. who won
the same while at Sea Girt last September:
Mai James E. Bell. Maj w. e. Harvey.
Capt. ]. S. Tomlinson. Capt. Sheridan Fer
rec, First Lieut.. +. w. Holt. Capt Alex.
Summers. Lieut.. w. w. Cookson. Sergt c.
L. Broome Private r. L. Pile. Private e.
d. Norris. Lieut.. Geo. P. Phillips, Private
! George A. HILL Maj. G. B. Young. Maj L.
H. Reichelderfer. Lieut.. F. Heidenreich.
Corp. z. j. Fink. Private Maurice Appleby
and Private F. E. Healy.
Mai. James E Bell. inspector general OF
rifle practice. District of Columbia Militia,
has accepted an invitation extended by the
National Guard Association Of Philadel-
phia to address its members Wednesday
evening November Is. at the armory of
the LIST Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry.
on Small Arms Gallery Practice. This
is a subject not yet taken up practically in