Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-11
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Proposed Reception to Com
handing General.
WORKING AT CAMP SITE
RENEWAL OF CONTROVERSY
OVER PALMA TROPHY.
Local Naval Battalion's Latest Ac-
quisition-U. s. S. Puritan Expect
ed Here in Near Future.
WORKING AT CAMP SITE


| Fully half a hundred officers of the local
| brigade Of citizen soldiery will assemble at
| headquarters, sixth floor, Star building.
| next Monday evening as mark of respect
and honor to Brig Gen. Geo: H. Harries.
| commanding the District of Columbia
| militia. The brigade commander returned
| from Europe last Monday and when ne
| alighted from train at the 9th street pas
senger station, this city, the evening of that
| day he was greeted by large number of
| his officers Gen. Harries was asked to fix
| the time for a reception. and he designated
next Monday evening. Those who have ar
| ranged to participate in the affair will as-
! semble at o'clock in dress uniform with
| out side arms. The rooms of the general
| staff will be appropriately decorated. an
orchestra will be in attendance and buffet
supper will be served. Col. Urell, I'd Reg
| iment. will make an address of welcome. as
spokesman for the officers present, and
| Gen. Harries. of course. will respond. The
exercises are to be of the simplest char
| acter and the endeavor will be to make
the AFFAIR as pleasant as possible.
Well Diggers at Work.
The well diggsrs are merrily at work up
| among the hills beyond Harper's Ferry, but
| the latest report received from them was
that adequate supply of water for the
proposed camp of the local troops next
August had not materialized. However,
| hopes remain bright that the water will be
forthcoming. and that the camp will be
| established according to program.
Captain Grove has furnished militia head
quarters with a carefully prepared map of
| the camp grounds. and also with series
of photographs Just as soon as Major Neu-
meyer receives favorable report from the
| searchers for water he will move ahead
without delay in the matter of completing
| the details Of the outing.
Rifle Range in View.
Maj. James E. Bell. inspector general Of
| rifle practice, has been authorized by the
| commanding general to make arrange
| ments. if possible, for the use of stretch
| of ground in the vicinity of Anacostia and
| Congress Heights for a rifle range for the
| District National Guard. If suitable terms
can be secured 1t is regarded as certain
| that the range will be established in the
section of the District mentioned
Capt. Thomas s. King is experimenting
| the work of removing the targets and other
| property from the Ordway range. The
greater portion of the appliances will he
set up at the new range.
Gen. Harries will Immediately take up
| with Maj. Bell the matter of the formal ton
| of a team to represent the District of Co
| lumbia in the national match to be shot al
| the District entertains no hope of winning
| the match this year. it is understood that
| 1t will nevertheless be represented in the
| com petition by a team.
| Maj Bell has invented a new target for
rifle ranges. 1t is intended primarily to-
| the use of military and other schools. Sew
| eral of the targets. however, may be estaO-
| lished at the new range for the local
brigade.
Naval Battalion Affairs
Thursday that the Navy Department had
assigned the U. S. S. Puritan for the use
of the Naval Battalion of the National
| Guard of the District of Columbia was
good news to the local jackies. The latter
are eagerly awaiting the arrival here of
| their new craft, which. it is stated will be
seen at the Naval Battalion wharf in the
near future.
Following is a corrected list of officers of
the District Naval Battalion:
Staf-Lieutenant Commander, Randolph
b. Brummett. commanding: Ensign Frank
w. Sigourney. aid Lieut. William H.
Lantz. chief engineer: Lieut.. Sidney Bieber,
paymaster. and Lieut.. s. Clifford Cox, sur
geon.
LIST Division-Lieut. Gunior grade) Lewis
E. Jones.
I'd Division-Lieut. Joseph A. Dempf COM
handing; Lieut.. Junior grade) John D.
Carmody, Ensign Clyde w. Kelly.
Warrant off1cers-George Howe, nav
clerk; James Bowling, L. S. N. boatswain
Rifles Used in Palma Match.
The views of a representative of each
party to the renewed controversy over the
alleged use of special barrels on the
| rifles with which the American rifle team
shot for the Palma trophy in England last
July follow:
Lieut.. Albert 8. Jones. secretary of the
National Rife Association of America
When the National Rifle Association of
America began negotiations with the Eng
lfsh association with the object of an in
ternational match the English association
asked for certain amendments to the rules
governing the match, one of which was that
the rife should be the military arm of the
country, or one made by private makers
which must be viewed and stamped by the
government.
Before the American association agreed
to this rule the War Department was asked
IL it would do this for rifles of private
makes which conformed with the service
rifle specifications. The answer was such
as to lead the N. r. A. to conclude it
would. Thereupon the rule was ac-
cepted.
lat that time there was no intention of
using other than the service rifle direct
from the government arsenal. AT the last
minute a gun-making firm in Massachu-
sets offered to make barrels for the use
of the team, which would be rified in con-
formity with that proposed for the new
army rifle the government was about to
enter upon the manufacture of. The offer
was accepted. When it came to getting
the rife officially approved by the War De-
partment there was a hitch; but it did
authorize, through the national board for
promotion of rifle practice, this being done
by the National Rifle Association.
There has been no claim by the English
men that we tried to perpetrate deliber-
ate deception or pass the barrels off as
government barrels. If there was any
fault committed by the N. r. A. at all it
was in the fact that it moved more rapidly
than the government arsenals in turning
out the new barrel.
1.-The English team shot with special bar
rels made by private makers. and also with
ammunition that did not conform to their
government standard and which was not
allowed to be used in the Bisley matches.
The American ammunition did conform in
every respect to our government standard.
All of the English rifeinen knew of and
discussed the special barrel used by the
American team. and having this knowledge
thus, Capt Maj. Freemantle, in a speech
after the match. congratulated the Ameri-
can team on having fairly won a splendid