Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-19
Colonel Brett Will Conduct
Inspection Next Month
UNDER MILITIA LAW
LACK OF INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOL
OF THE SOLDIER.
How Best to Promote Rifle Practice
Desirability for Fair Shots-Cur-
rent Happenings.

Paragraph L. special orders, No. II.
headquarters Atlantic division, United
States army. just issued. follows;
by direction OF the Secretary of War,
Capt. Lloyd NJ Brett. Tth Cavalry, is de-
tailed to inspect the organized militia of
the District of Columbia, under section
ii of the militia act, approved January
81, 1903"
This detail is somewhat of a surprise,
as Capt Lloyd NJ. Brett, 18th L. S. Cavalry,
and Lieut.. Col. Lloyd Nj. Brett, adjutant
general. District of Columbia militia, are
one and the same person. Col. Brett is as
sisting very actively in the annual in
spection of the local brigade, now in
progress. He will be in a position, there
fore. to observe whether the several or
CARNATIONS have made any improvement
when he inspects them under the provis-
ions of section Il of the militia act. in ac-
cordance with the following itinerary,
which accompanied the other papers re-
oeived by him from headquarters of the
Atlantic division:
General staff and general non-commis-
stoned staff of the militia, at headquar-
ters. Star building, Monday evening, April
IL. 1904, at o'clock.
Field and staff, LIST Regiment. at Center
Market rr:ory. Thursday evening, April
Il, at o'clock.
L streets, Tuesday evening, April II, at
o'clock.
Second Battalion, at Center Market
armory. Thursday evening, April A. at
S:15 o'clock
Third Battalion Thursday evening,
April IA. at o'clock.
Field and staff I'd Regiment. al Center
Market armory, Tuesday evening, April
IS. at o'clock.
First Battalion of the I'd Regiment,
Tuesday evening, April 10, at SIS o'clock.
Second Battalion of the I'd Regiment
Monday evening, April II, at $50 o'clock.
Third Battalion of the I'd Regiment
Wednesday evening, April Is. at s o clock
First Separate Battalion, at Center Mar
ket Armory. Monday evening, April Is, at 9
O'Clock.
Naval battalion, signal corps and 1st Bat
terry Field Artillery. at Center Market Ar
mory, Friday evening, April 10, at S:15
o'clock.
Ambulance corps, brigade band and corps
of field music. Wednesday evening April 90
at o'clock.
Points to Be Determined.
Col. Brett, by order of the War Depart
ment, will determine the strength of the
various organizations, including classified
ton of officers and men, so as to show the
organization of the command and the num-
Der present and absent.
A return will be made by the inspector
showing all field pieces. machine guns ri
fes. carbines revolvers and other arms of
the United States on hand, together with
all attachments and equipments. carriages,
harness and spare parts. projectiles and
ammunition, or parts therefor.
Col. Brett will also determine whether the
organizations are sufficiently armed. uni
formed and equipped for active service in
the field
Lack of Instruction.
The inspecting officers, by observing the
work of Of lot
have become impressed that the school
of the soldier and the instruction of the
non-Commissioned officers have been neg
lected to an inexcuSable degree. The non
commissioned officers particularly have
displayed diffidence that is declared to
be surprising. The wearers of chevrons
seem to be bashful and really afraid to
act when In command of squads and sec
tons. The inspectors are inclined to hold
the company officers. and especially the
company commanders. responsible for
this state of affairs. Because of the lazi-
ness of the run of those holding commits
slons, or certainly lack of energy on their
part II has been concluded the instruc-
tlon or the 'non-comS, and, consequently
OF the prlVateS. has been allowed to lag
me men of the several companies ex-
Cept in few notable instances lack the
set up characteristic of soldiers nor do
they march as men in uniform should
march Moving company around the
drlll hall several times and executing
Tours right and 'fours left" the adju-
tant general thinks will not do esne-
claily when essential details are neglect
ed The officers. and in turn the nom
commissioned officers display hesitancy
IN regard to correcting errors. Col Brett
the adJutant general, however is snend
ing a great deal of time at the armory..
and the suggestions he has made are al
ready bearing fruit AS he intends to
keep up the good work. great and last
ing Improvement is anticipated.
Promoting Rifle Practice.
Capt James PosteH Jervey, Corps of En-
gineers. United States army. who won the
Military Service Institutions seaman prize
with an essay on How Best to Promote
Rifle Practice Among Our Countrymen in
Ilme OF Peace as a Preparation for War
asserts that out of an estimated DOnuJa-
tlon of 100000 available for military
service, exclusive of the Philippines not
more than 2OU0UU can shoot with the INIT
ed States service rifle; 10000 are familiar
with rife firing of some description while
the remaining 15,5J0.000 are either ignorant
OF IT'S use or are so unskilled as to be val
ueless. Germany, with a population of
Ob,OOO,tNO, as compared with 100000 for
the United States. has at her disposal for
national defense a trained force of 5000 900
men.
Examining the regulations for the Unit
ed States forces the National Guard and
club methods, Capt. Jervey says it will be
noticed:
the regular troops and for the National
Guard is excellent, and thoroughly pre-
pares the recruit for range firing
More time is devoted by our troops to
firing at fixed rectangular targets at
known ranges than seems advisable all of
the fire prescribed being at known ranges,
and MI at fixed targets excepting the rapid
fire in the marksman's course.
No opportunity is given the United States
soldier or National Guardsman to put his
estimating distance drill TO practical use.
No field practice Is prescribed either for
the regular army or for the National
Guard, whereas 30 per cent of the ammuni-
ton IS thus expended abroad.
Noliey firing is retained. and is delivered
with the company IN single rank at an in
teryal of one pace between men, a forma-
tion which could scarcely be depended
upon to deliver good yolleys under fire.
The allowance of ammunition. 400 rounds
per man, is exceedingly large being twice
as great as the allowance for the Euro
pean soldier.
Desirability for Fair Shots.
We do MOI seem TO lay sufficient stress
on the Importance of developing large
number OF fair shots rather than a few
experts. on developing independence and
individual skill in picking out targets and
taa.e,