Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-20
NOTES OF THE LOCAL
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN


K, LIST Regiment, and Private Samuel B.
Weatherald, Company I. LIST Regiment, who
accompanied the team.
Lieut.. Col. Lloyd NJ. Brett ad1utant gen.
eral District of Columbia militia, has been
ordered to proceed to Sea Girt tomorrow
for duty with the brigade team. Capt. Z.
Fred Cook has been appointed acting ad1u-
tant general during the absence OF Lieut.
Col Brett
The competitions will begin next Thurs
day, and will be in progress until Saturday,
September Q.
Prize for Rifle Practice.
The rifle range here Will be open for vol
untary practice and completion of scores
from to o'clock pm. Tuesdays, Thurs
days and Saturdays until further orders.
Company officers by example and effort
will endeavor to qualify every man entitled
to shoot on the range.
The use of the range may be had on days
other than those designated upon proper
application by company commanders.
Ammunition for qualification is furnished
fshout cost.
Capt. Emil G.. Schafer quartermaster ID
Regiment. offers a prize OF So 10 the com
pany qualifying the most marksmen during
the season ending October 81, 1900.
company qualifying less than 10 per
cent of Its strength will rot be considered
in the awarding of the prize.
Work of the Militia.
This is the season of the year when the
organized militia and its kindred body and
ally on the sea, the naval militia, devote
themselves TO practice under conditions APP
preaching those of actual warfare" the
Army and Navy Register says. ALREADY
we have received the accounts of some of
the enCampments of the national guard
bodies held at various places, and our Illus
trated portion has been devoted on several
occasions to the pictures of the troops en-
gagged in this important work. This week
the naval militia have been taken out to
sea on board naval ships for cruising pur-
poses. The exercise in both instances can
not fail to be of great and lasting benefit
ut is observable, however, when the nee
essary praise has been admins tered TO the
participants, that there remains much 70
be accomplished by the national guard and
the naval militia 1t Is still far from be-
ing in that condition which comes very
near the sort of usefulness to be expected
Of the citizen soldiery, so-calied. There
exceptions, such was in evidence at
Peekskil, n. Y, recently, and such as has
been the condition at Harper's Ferry. w
Va. The New York national guard encamp
ment conducted with skill and a fine
discrimination, on the part of the officers
between the useless labors to which SOL
diers may be put and the productive sort
which will count for something in time of
action. Gen. Harries. who commands the
District of Columbia militia is a man with
the same kind of appreciation of what is
wanted, and he has always had the faculty
of carrying out the policy of the practical
administra ton.
Application Of Effort.
There ought to be some very real and
hard work performed by the militia of
land and water this year The annual en-
campments and cruises are of value to
the officers and men only in proportion to
the serious occupation of the commits
stoned personnel and the enlisted force
under intelligent supervision and instruc-
ton. with the facilities for imparting the
additional knowledge afterward. The rules
and regulations of warfare will amount to
nothing unless there is this practical and
concentrated application of mind and eff
fort The militia authorities are gradually
portance of this employment of the troops,
II there are TO be any results from the ex-
penditures in the direction of the militia
equipment and training. There must be
dependence, in time Of war, upon a reserve
force, a part of which should be the militia
body. 1t is of the greatest value, there
fore. that nothing should be left undone to
place that force upon a sound footing,
equal to the emergency presented. There
may be no such fulfillment of its plain duty
If the organized militia is not prepared
suitably along practical lines, which shall
be thorough also. Very much rests with
the milita-rank and ile-and 1t Is a reas-
surfing sign that the members of the land
and the water forces are less and less each
year inclined to regard their work
mere pastime."