The National tribune., 1906-11-29
UNITED J: J: !: SPANISH j; j
WAR 4 VETERANS.
Capt. Hobson Mustered In-Com.
mander.in- Chief MiIIer's Visit
III
to Washington.

| StlidhS. ol lne department OI tHe LIS
trict of Columbia. There was large
| assemblage of the comrades in G. A. II.
| Hall on the occasion, and the scene
presented during the initiation was an
| impressive one. Maj. Miller filed the
! office of Camp Commander, and De-
partment Commander j. Walter .ditch-
ell acted as Camp Chaplain.
The guard-two soldiers and two
| sailors in uniform-were armed with
Remington rifles which We're capture
| from Spanish sharpshOoters IS The
American fighters made their advance
| on the Spaniard5' stronghold in front
OF Santiago. At t.le ContiuS'oA of ne
mu uSter-in ceremonies the doors Were
thrown open and a number of Grand
Army comrades and ladies of the Aux
iliaries and Lineal Society were ad-
mittcd
Commander-in-C Chief Miller welcomed
Capt. Hobson as a new comrade of the
u. S. w. ", and the hero of the Mer-
rimac responded with telling speech.
He described how Lieut. Blue, of the
Navy, had been permitted to fire three
shots from q six-inch gun from one OF
the American war vessels at red and
yellow Spanish flag that was flying
over a blockhouse, and told how the
third shot sent the Spanish emblem
dowl into the dust. He added that the
War with Spain and its lessons to the
old countries had made Uncle Sam a
world power, and had made it possible
for "Comrade Roosevelt to dictate
terms of peace to Japan and Russia.
Capt. HObson praised the American
soldier and sailor, and said it was well
that the honor and integrity of this
great Nation should be intru sted to the
care of its fighting men. who donncd the
blue in the hour of their country's
need.
Mai. Miller paid n high tribute to the
American women whose husbands, ?ons
and brothers had fought the wars of
their COUNTRY He fcclingl% referred to
the cowardly assassination of his rela-
tive. the late President William Nc
valoTous services unGer the old Flag in
the civil war
|. Mrs. Hob5oa accompanied her ilus-
| band ana occupied q seat On tho plat
form between hin and Mi. Miller. The
corIrGGes gave the tr,o a rou5.ng re-
ception and oy-tiota, and the occasion
was one that : II 2Se long remembered
by those who a. rr2 present. Mrs. IIe:.
/ Seymour McCOsItD who is known rs
the Sweet Siheersof the Spanish var
Veterans sang aSIA solo. with splendid
effect. THE Sthr SiEngled Ranner," and
at the close dr the meeting the audi
ence arose and joined in singing Amer
lea II
is,s ~
The visit 'of f6-o1nmantler-in-Ch
Chas. r. Miller to- washington proved
to be a fruieful ere for the Unitee
| Spanish War Veterans. He held con-
ference with sGents Alnsworth. of the
General Staff J1f she Army. n refer
ence to h7viaS the more than 400
fCamps of Decentralization constituted
as n second srrnW reserve for active
service in time of war Cen Ainsworth
expressed hirnSelfnas well pleased with
the project. 1T was Maj. Mnler's plan
that each Camp Gould be made q com
pIny of the time of peace strength. Il
be armed with Krag- -JorgeRson rifle,
| for target practice. so In y would bo
lavailabie as riflemen.
He also proposed that battalions,
regiments and brigades could be form
ed. His plan was comprehensive one,
and will he presented to Congress, 81
) that the necessary legislation to brin5
: it to fruition can be enacted Army
officers generally are said TO favor the
| proposition.
| Mai. Miller returned to his home at
Cleveland. o.. last Saturday While he
aas in Washington he was cordially
greeted by his old friends who knew
| him in former days at the Capital. He
! iS IL TlSil ol pleasing presumably ana -
! dcScrvedly popular. During his term as
! Comn,ander-in-Chi of the L. s. w v
| he has worked indefatigably for tiis
! organization. and his efforts were re-
| wardcd by the addition of many new
Camps to the patriotic order of which
| he is the head.
Gen. George II. Harries. commanding
| the District of Columbia National
CtIa ar1 hnS tod hts tIn No
| tional Encampment Committee OF the
| u. S. w. V. with a handsome gold
badge. a fac simile of the official bad se
of the organization. Gen. Harries is an
active member OF Henry w. Lawton
Camp of the District Department, and
rendered splendid service in making the
recent National EnCampment at Wash
| ington a success.
Several matters of interest to Span
| iSh War Veterans concerning proposed
pension legislation by Congress is be
ing prepared and will soon be given in
| this column. The comrades claim thal
there are certain inequalities thai
should be remedied, and the officers OF
the U. S. w. V. are giving the matter
attention.
Steps are being taken by Command,
cr-in-Chef Miller &c bring about tn,
reorganization of the Camps formerly
at Baltimore Md. which were practi
cally wiped out by the recent grea
con flagration that swept away in fir
and smoke the business section of tn,
city Camps will also be established il
other parts of Maryland and q Stat,
Department formed.
Capt Hamilton Ward, of Buffalo, n
Y, who will succeed Maj. Miller a.
Commander-in5C Chief next January. Il
preparing to epteT- upon a comprehen
sive campaign, for Legislation in behal
of the organization this Winter no
only before Congress, but the Stat,
Legislature as owen, Letters calling fol-
information Oh the subject have beer
sent to all Departments by Capt. Ryan
of Buffalo, wh9, dame rumor says, will
be the next Acknowledgement of th'
U. S. w. ", succeeding Capt Chas. F
Sherwood. of ,arleyeland. o., the pres
ent Incumbent ,11
Hundreds OF, veterans of the civi
war and the War, with Spain have writ
ten to Capt. T., Walter Mitchell, Sec
retary of the National Committee OF
Legislation, Washington, d. c., urgins
that the Army canteen be restored. TIL,
letters will be placed before Congress.
Maj. Chas. Loeffler, u. S. A., chic
doorkeeper at the White House, will b,
mustered in as member of one of tn,
Washington, d. c., Camps at earl,
day, it is said Other noted men II