The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-03-08
Officially Announced That
Annual Encampment Will
Be Relieved of a Dis
agreeable Feature.
Rumored That Lieutenant
Hopkins Is to Resign His
Position in the Naval Re-
serves-Practice Revision

and interesting matters attracted the
attention of Washington's citizen
soldiers.
The alI-absorbiug topic Of converse
ton is the summer outing or the an
ual encampment" OF the organization,
as Il is more Familiarity known. After
vain attempts to ascertain something
definite about the next camp. which is
10 be held in July. the guardsmen have
al last landed something tangible in re-
gard to IT.. II has been officially an
nouuced that the regular routine work
which has characterized all OF tho pre-
vious encanpments of the District mill
tia will be abandoned. This was well
come news TO the guardsmen. who have
become weary Of going to camp and
spending ten HOT summer days doing the
same thing over and over again every
day.
Maneuvers Planned.
The officials OF the guard have prom
Used on several occasions 10 relieve the
monotony. hut up to date il has not
been done. The authorities OF the mill
tia have two plans under consideration.
one is for tie local guardsmen to take
part in a series OF field and water
maneuvers with members OF the Regu-
lar Army and Navy. The site OF the
maneuvers will doubtless be in the vi
entity OF Fort Washington OF Fort Hunt.
about fifteen or twenty miles from
Washington. on the Maryland side OF
the Potomac River.
The other is 10 send the local soIdierv
TO a regular army post. about hundred
miles from Washington. and for the
guardsmen TO participate in joint camp
with the regular mer there. This camp
viii last two weeks. and although The
War Department officials who have the
matter under Amusement. have made no
definite decision. il is believed that Tie
last named plan will be adopted.
Hopkins to Resign?
From the naval battalion comes the
report that when General HarrIcs ap-
points the commander OF the reserves.
Lieutenant Commander :. c. Hopkins.
who has been acting commander for
some time. will Immediately tender his
resignation and ask TO be relieved from
duty. the resignation 10 take effect the
day the commander is appointed. II is
rumored that Lieutenant Hopkins has
been criticised by the other officers Ct
the battalion. and that rather than be
subjected 10 the remarks OF his subordi-
mates and others he decided 10 ask that
his resignation be accepted at the carl
lest possible date
There may be other designations be-
sides that OF Lieutenant Hopkins. but
nothing definite can be learned yet IN
regard 20 such action on the part OF the
other officers il was thought that Lieu
tenant Hopkins would be retained as
second in command. and that would in
all probability be the procedure II he re-
considered his proposed resignation. OF
course he has no technical knowledge Of
naval affairs. because he has never made
a particular study OF them. but it IS a
fact that he has conducted the battalion
in the best possible manner for a man
with the knowledge he had himself pick
ed up and acquired by his personal OBJ
servation. He is well liked and is popu-
lar with all the men in the battalion.
with few possible exceptions.
Practice Revision.
The revision OF the small arm prac-
tice for the regular and volunteer men
is something else which is attracting the
attention OF officials OF the guard. The
board OF army officers which was ap-
pointed 20 make the revisions made its
report recently. and on Wednesday cop
les OF it were sent TO the various state
miIitias and the District National
Guard. which is always in on any deal
of Importance. The object OF the
changes is to secure uniformity in small
arm rife practice throughout the United
CARNATIONS in this country which have
the same regulations 10 govern their
rifle practice. The consequence is that
whenever any team meets another there
is always somewhat OF a dispute Over
the regulations governing the matches.
That is not the only fault that can be
found There are others equally as
great. II not greater. and set Of rules
making rife practice uniform all over
the country will be- well received by all
or the volunteer men who have become
proficient with he rifle. The new order
requires a man who wins medal i'm ono
State 10 comply with the rules IN all OF
the others. and a uniform basis for non
crs for skill viii be- the result
National Trophy.
At the last session Of Congress s.. SOC
was appropriated for national trophy.
which will be contested for by the army.
navy. marines. and militia OF he various
states. II is argued that this will serve
- q stimulus fo- rife practice. and il is
believed that the trophy VIII be contest
ed for a. The next meeting or the Ameri-
can Rife Association. which will be held
n Sea Girt from August q 10 Septem-
Der s OF the present year Designs are
now being made. and there seems no
doubt that the prize will be put mp for
competition next fall
The District Revolver Association will