The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-30
70 company. with directions to be-
Hln nrartice Immediately.

a
3 gin practice Immediately.
4 t"r,atcr, through their commanding
# officcrs. captains were directed to send
y ono ,nnn from each rcgimental stan
10 report TO Colonel g. a. Dempsey, u,
u. a. (who was detailed acting In
spcctor small arms practice by Gen.
ernl order No. 36, December 10,
1906, at rifle range at Williamsburg.
y Va, with view OF selecting from
the estimated number OF ysiy,
/. twelve men and three altcrnates to
\ represent the State on tho new range
MT Camp Perry. Ohio. Only eighteen in
NIL reported and the team stood last.
.,rho lesson to be drawn from this fact
is not to the discredit.of the virginia
Volunteers but from the fact that
there are no camp grounds owned By
the state. nor any rifle ranges in en-.
istcnce: no funds from which to pay
5the natural expense arising from men
leaving their business to perfect them
selves in this art, and until these adj
lJuncts are available, we may not en-
pect this situation to be greatly i'm.
proved.
Colonel Dempsey and the adjutant-
general have been endeavorng since
May to provide suitable place for
rifle range near Richmond or Peters
burg, and hope to do so before this
report Is printed.
Colonel StcIn's Report.
The report of Colonel Stern deals
with conditions in every branch OF
the military, and gives in detail the re-
suits of his recent annual Inspections.
He declares that the outing feature OF
the Jamestown Exposition had ten
dency to stimulate interest, and that
the personnel of the organization is
Very much improved The equipment,
he declares. is, with few exceptions,
complete. and the prospects for inn
provement in armories are good. He
refers to the fact that better record
system has been put into operation.
and then deals at some length with
the question of rifle practice.
( Colonel Stern sharply raps the off,
GERS, declaring that most of them are
competent. but that few are diligent
In the discharge OF their duties.
After officers and Men.
concerning this and the questions OF
drill and discipline among the men,
Colonel Stern makes the following in
teresting comments:
With so many recruits, the limited
s rumber OF drills and little or no in
F, struction i'll camp. both drill and dis.
cipline are far short of what they
should be. but the intelligence OF the
{: men generally Is such that they could
!: in a very short time be made into
( good, serviceable soldiers.
The officers. with few exceptions
are competent. but there is no use to
conceal the fact that many of them
are not dlligent in the discharge of
their duties.
They are business men as rule.
!, actively engaged, and give but little
A, time to their duties as officers.
This matter should receive at
tention from regimental headquarters,
under orders from brigade headquar-
tiers. All field and staff officers should
not only inspect companies at their
+. home stations from time to time, there
by stimulating the company officers
TO greater efforts. but should point
out to them duties to be performed
2 and the manner of attending to the
Z affairs Of the company, Keeping the
records, preserving and caring for
equipment, maintaining discipline. and
instrueting the men in all drills, target
firing, etc"
In his notes referring to the COM
pany inspections Colonel Stern Sc
Terely crit:cizes several of them on
various grounds. In some he refers to
the lack of care of uniforms. in 9th
efs to untidy condition of rooms. ana
IN still others TO the large number
OF men who fall to attend drills resu-
larry.
The reports OF both officers are now
W the hands of the printer. and will
PROBABLY be ready for public distribu.
aon before January LIST