Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-23
ORDERED TO D|sBAND
elimination of the Trouble of
Naval Battalion.
FORMAL NOTICE TO BE GIVEN
Announcement Made by Commander
Of District Militia.
MOVE FOR REORGANIZATION
officers Who Had Been Asked to Re-
sign Failed to Comply With
Request.

Affairs in the Naval Battalion of the Ma
tional Guard of the District of Columbia,
which attracted the attention OF the public
when the commanding general of the
militia recently called upon three of the
officers of the Naval Battalion staff to ten
der their designations, reached climax
last evening Gen. Harries then visited the
U. S. s. Puritan and personally announced
the disbandment Of the organization. Al
though the formal order of disarmament
has not yet been issued, that action Is
stated to be mere formality, which will
be attended to just as soon as the adjutant
general can take the time to frame the
order.
AdjNtant General Brett and his assistants
are very busy at present because of the
meeting in progress in this city Of the In
terstate National Guard Association. The
disbandment Is so certain, however, that
one of the division commanders of the Ma
val Battalion today left with printer the
copy for an order directing the members OF
his command to turn In at once all United
States property that had been issued to
.--em, "in view of the disarmament of the
battalion by the commanding general, Dis
trict of Columbia militia acting under the
authority vested in him by law
A reorga nization of the battalion will oc-
cur in the very near future.
Declined to Surrender Commissions.
Lieut.. Commander r. B. Brummett, ex-
ecutiee officer; Lieut.. s. Clifford Cox, sur
geon, and Lieut.. William II. Lantz, chief
engineer, the three officers called upon to
tender their designations, failed TO comply
with the request. Lieut.. Commander Brum-
NETT and Lieut.. Cox IT is stated, called at
militia headquarters and remarked to the
adjutant general that they did not intend
to voluntarily surrender their commissions.
The word was quietly passed around that
the commanding general desired to see the
officers of the Naval Battalion at 9 o'clock
last evening. The entire commissioned
force of the organization. with the excep-
ton of Lieut.. Chase. was aboard the U. 8.
8. Puritan at the hour mentioned. Soon
after Gen. Harries and Adjt. Gen. Brett had
boarded the ship, all the officers, with the
exception Of Messrs.- Brummett. Cox and
Lantz, We're summoned by name to the
cabin Evidently realizing that they had
been ignored. the trio named soon went
ashore
General Harries called upon the officers
in turn, commencing with the junior. to
give an expression of opinion regarding the
cause of the lack Of harmony in the orgen-
ization. While several of the officers spoke
hesitatingly, others cast aside reserve and
boldly declared, in substance, that the un-
fortunate situation was due to jealousy.
lack Of knowledge of the required duties,
and a certain absence of respect en- the part
of some of the officers for others
After all present had been given an op-
portunity to speak, the officers We're ex-
oused for the time being, and, as one of the
party expressed 1t. they waited, like de-
PENDANTS. for the verdict of the jury" Gen.
Harries, Adit. Gen. Brett and Commander
Stratton remained in the cabin. A little
later the other officers were again sum-
moned. and were informed by General Har-
ries that the matter had been given care
full consideration. and that the Naval Bat
talon could be regarded as disbanded.
Honorable Discharges.
All the officers will be honorably dis
charged by reason of such disbandment.
The commanding general explained that the
issue was purely a military one, in dealing
with which personal friendships could not
be regarded.
Ensign w. E. Burt was designated prop
erty officer to receive and receipt for ail
United States property that had been issued
to the command The officers were advised
to promptly close their property accounts,
so that the battalion could be reorganizad
with clean bill of health, so to SPEAK, and
start anew ON the road of progress and sue
cess, with everybody working in harmony
The reorganization, 1t was intimated will
be perfected under the personal direction of
the commanding general.