The Washington times., 1906-02-16
NAVAL BAT TALON
BACK IN SERVICE
Reorganization Scheduled
for Tonight.
DRILLS WILL SOON BEGIN
Officers Who Declined to Resign a
Month Ago Will Be Among
the Missing.
DRILLS WILL SOON BEGIN

II was decided at the headquarters of
the National Guard today that the Naval
Battalion of the District militia will
be reocganized this evening. The or
ders came from Gen. George Harrics.
commander of the District of Columbia
militia, to the effect that the nomina-
tions for officers OF the guard will be
submitted to headquarters sometime
this afternoon, and that the work of
reorganization shall begin Immediately
The Naval Battalion is one of the
strongest branches of the local militia.
1t is composed OF three divisions. As
yet it has not been decided to reorgan-
ize the engineers. 1t Will be impossible
20 appoint an officer as commander OF
that division, but those who have the
reorganization in charge say that an
officer may be temporarily appointed to
carry on the work.
Drill Viii Soon Begin,
Both of the other divisions, however,
will be re-established al once and drill
begun on the training ship Puritan. The
Puritan Is one OF the finest monitors in
the United States navy and her main
tenance during the time that me naval
battalion has been dIsoT ganized has
been a useless expense 10 the Govern
menU
II was stated at headquarters today
that the only names JnaJ VIII be miss
ing from the roster of the new Organi-
zauon viii be those OF the three omcers
whose refusal 10 resign caused the dis
solution OF the battalion. From the re-
quests Of the enlisted men that have been
received at headquarters to reorganize
the battalion, those men who have the
work In charge say that every man
who was member of the command be
lore the Reorganization viii Te-enlisJ
=.
added.
Officers Refused to Resign.
The battalion was abolished about a
month ago because of the refusal of
three OF the staff officers TO resign.
Their designations were demanded by
the commanding general of the battaI-
ION, but they refused on the ground that
their commissions came from the PTeSi-
dent OF the United States, and that
until they were accused of some mis-
demeanOr they would continue to serve
the District. There was no charge
available that could be placed against
them, 50 that TO procure the desired
result the entire battalion was aboI-
iShed In the reorganization these
names VIII be omitted from the list Of
officers.
Conference This Afternoon.
Gen. George II Harries and Lieut..
George NJ. Brett will hold a conference
at headquarters of the National Guard
this afternoon to determine the nominal
tons of the new officers As soon as
The list has been completed it will be
submitted 10 the President for ratifica-
ton and active work on the battalion
begun.
The last day on which the reorgani-
cation could have occurred would have
been March l because of the peculiar
appropriations for the maintenance of
the organization. If the estimates for
the money needed to finance the enter
prise are not submitted 10 the Nav
Department before March l. there viii
be no appropriation. The money is aD-
portioned to the naval battalions
throughout the country at this time ac-
cOrding TO the number of men who ap-
pear upon the rolls. 1t was to the ad-
vantage of the local battalion TO re-
organize so that as many men could be