Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-21
NEWS OF THE LOCAL
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN

company records of quartermaster ana
ordnance property issued to the enlisted
men Maj. Robbins, quartermaster of the
brigade, has prepared a card index rec
ord, which within the next week or two
he will have distributed to the various
commanding officers and to the quarter
| masters of the regiments and separate
hattalions. This card record index will
! take the place of the present property
books and will he found far more con-
venient in keeping the company property
records. There will be two kinds OF cards
-One buff. for property issued for use in
the field, and another, blue, for the uni
forms and other equipment that are kept
by the men during the year. The cards
contain printed lists Of each article. and
all that it will be necessary to enter is
the number issued One part OF the card
! is for quartermaster supplies and the 9TH
er for ordnance stores.
! The rifle range of the National Guard
of the District will be placed at the dis
posal of the colored High School Cadets
| next Friday, when they will take part In
several individual and interschool matches
that have been arranged for them under
the auspices Of the National Rifle Asso-
cation. Lieut.. Col James p. Bell. as
sisted by Lieut.. Jones. secretary of the
National Rife Association. will have
charge of the shoot Officers and enlisted
men of the LIST Separate Battalion will be
on duty at the range on that day.
\
TIE adjutant general Of one of the
states. who offered suggestion to es-
tablish a school each year for the in
struction of officers of the state militia,
was informed by the bureau of militia
affairs that such n school, properly con-
Quoted, would greatly improve the eff
cheney of the National Guard of the state,
and that in order that federal funds may
= IL
school should be camp of instruction"
In other words, it would be Impossible
to pay the travel and per diem out of
the states allotment of the government
appropriation if the officers were quar-
tered In hotel. and 1t would be i'm
practicable to have. the school during the
winter months, unless the expenses there
Of were met from state funds.
Owing to the size Of the guard of the
state and to the fact that the course
for the field officers the regimental staff
officers and the company officers should
be along different lines Gas well as for
officers OF different branches of the serv-
| icel, it was not believed by the bureau
OF militia affairs that the best results
could be obtained by assembling all the
officers at one time. and il was suggested
that the officers of the coast artillery
be assembled in camp at one of the near
est seacoaSt forts. all of the cavalry
officers at a cavalry pest. all company
officers of infantry at the nearest infan-
try post. one-haif AT a time; all infantry
| field officers at a period when the COM
pany officers were not present as the
school for the former should cover differ
ent ground from the latter; infantry staff
| officers at still another period and the
officers OF the field artillery at some
! other time and place.
whatI yer scheme is adopted should ac-
cording to the War Department officials
| be developed as soon as possible. the
course outlined, the officers of the militia
~,
| and the instructor selected I'm order that
| he may gather the material. prepare the
| data and have ample time to decide on
! just what plan the school should be con-
Quoted. Also the instruction should be
mainly practical and practicable. Thus
! for company officers of infantry, it was
| suggested that they come fully equipped
as privates of infantry for field service
| (also bringing equipment. including COM
passes. watches, notebooks and pencilS).
| They should be formed into a provisional
company of infantry. put in camps, form
ed at reveille. taught the setting-up exer-
cises, sighting, position and aiming drills,
how 10 apply sight corrections for wind
age and elevation at the different ranges,
use OF first-aid packets bayonet drill,
| squad movements, ffrings, nomenclature,
! care and use of rife, map reading, prac
| ticed IN giving commands and in issuing
| field orders, giving practical instruction in
patrolling advance and rear guards. out
posts. deployments. attack and defense,
selecting and occupying positions and in
| the preparation of such papers and rec
ords as are necessary in the field. This
instruction is such is absolutely neces-
sary to fit command for war service,
and it is essential and the period of in
struction is so short that no time should
be devoted to attempting TO teach the
finer points of guard duty. the manual of
| arms, close order platoon movements or
ceremonies.
II
The following officers have been de-
| tailed TO attend the annual convention
of the National Guard Association of
Pennsylvania, to be held at Philadelphia
December 10 and IL: Lieut.. Col. f. NJ.
Weaver, general staff corps, chief of di-
vision of militia affairs; Mai. Carl Reich
mann. 24th Infantry. L. ). A, Army
War College. and Capt. F. J. koester,
subsistence department. L. s. A., Wash
ington barracks.
In response to an inquiry made by the
afjutant general of state for informa-
tion in regard to the minimum to be
maintained in the organized militia dur