The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-17
LOCAL MILITIA FIRST
MAJOR FRANCIS II. FRENCH, U. S. A.
EXPECTED IN FEW DAYS.
FOR GOVERNMENT INSPECTION
WILL ALSO MAKE EXAMINATION
OF AVONDALE RANGE.


Recommend Its Joint Use By the
L. :. Infantry Stationed At Fort
McPherson-Wns Favored By Gen.
Chnnee-Maj. French Is One OF
Senior Officers of Fort Mcpherson.
Men Are Anxious to Get the Krng-
JOrgensen Rifle AS Soon As Pos
sibIe.
There is a great deal of activity in
military circles now, in preparation for
the inspection of the state troops which
it is thought will be made within a
fortnight The Savannah companies
will be among the first, if not the first,
to be inspected. The officers are anx-
ious for the inspection to be held since
it will expedite the equipping of the
men, and the institution of the Krag-
Jorgensen rifle, which supplaces the
Springfield.
1t is important that the men be pro-
vided with the new rifle at the earliest
possible date, since, because of the vast
difference in the two pieces, and the
changes in the laws regulating rifle
practice made necessary by the diff
terences in the rifle itself, 1t will re-
quire a great deal of practice to IA
miliarize one with the Krag, and at
tain a degree of excellence which will
justify the sending of a team to the
national contests.
The board of officers appointed by
the Secretary of War for the purpose
OF formulating rules and regulations
to govern these contests met yesterday
in Washington. Col. A. r. LaWton OF
Savannah represented Georgia in the
deliberations. Rules will be prepared
and submitted to the Secretary OF War;
and as soon as the inspection has been
held date will be set for the compe-
tition Georgia expects TO send at least
one team, on which there will be sew
eral SaVannahians. Since this will be
the first national contest in which the
local military have entered since the
unpleasantness at Sea Girt, they are
especially DESTROYS of making an eX-
cellent showing.
The New inspectors.
Maj French, who has been appointed
by Gen. Chaffee, the commander of
the Department of the East, will. it is
thought be the chief inspector. 1t
is taken for granted that he will have
quite a number of assistants, since it
MOulu tame lllill oCN0i al ihOAibAAo ~
conduct a personal inspection, there
being seventy-eght companies in the
state. SaVannahs companies will be
the first to be inspected, not alone be-
cause the regiment stationed here is
the first numerically, but because all
of the local commands are in a state
CT preparation.
Maj. French is a stranger to the Of
ficers here. With one officer, Maj.
h., t. inf cd hrn o. Ia
communication by mail, the two hav-
ing had considerable correspondence
on matters military and otherwise.
From these letters, and from reports
received by other officers, it is learned
that the new inspector is a most eff
Gent officer and an affable gentleman.
his coming is looked forward to with
interest by the military, particularly
because of the fact that when Gen.
Chaffee was here he expressed himself
in favor of having the Avondale range
used jointly by the local militia and
by the infantry stationed at Fort Nc
Pherson. Mai. French is one of the
senior officers at Fort Mcpherson, and
there is little doubt but that he will
take the same view of the matters as
Clio his commander. An effort will
probably be made to have him incor-
porate a recommendation to this eff
Maj Francis II. French, now with
the Sixteenth United States Infantry,
graduated from West Point in 1875, to
which institution he was appointed
from Indiana. Up to the time of his
assignment to the Sixteenth Infantry
in February, 1901 he was with the
Nineteenth Infantry. He served dur
ing the Spanith- American War in the
same regiment with Capt. E. p. Law
ton of Savannah. His appointment is
only a temporary one, his detail ceas-
ing when his report has been accepted
by Gen. Chaffee.
Purposes of Inspection.
The inspection, while thorough, will
be for certain purposes only. 1t will
not pertain to matters of drill or
knowledge of the regulation, but rather
to enlistment, equipment, etc, the pur-
pose being to ascertain what amount OF
new equipment will be necessary, what
the total enlistment is, what amount
of equipment will be returned to the
War Department in exchange for the
new equipment and the readiness of
the men for actual field service.
The Krag-Jorgensen rifles will super
cede the Springfield, and for every
round of Springfield cartridges the
department will give round of Krag
ammunition, the exchange being a
rather profitable one to the military,
since the latter is much more expen-
sive. The old rifles will be disposed of