Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26

oreticai instruction have been
discontinued during the holiday
season. In response to recent general
orders. issued from District militia head
quarters the officers of the local brigade
are already planning to take I'D imme-
diately after January 3, when drills will
be resumed, a systematic plan of re-
crulting, so as to have their organizations
enlisted up to the strength required by
the new regulations by February l.
Gen. Harries is determined that when
the brigade takes up field exercises next
year the troops will not be hampered by
large percentage of recruits who have
only recently Joined the guard and are
therefore. not sufficiently instructed to
perform properly the duties required of
them. orders from District militia head
quarters are explicit on this subject, and
Gen. Harries has said in the most posi-
tive manner that they will be obeyed
TO the letter, and that any officer vio-
latlng them will be tried by court-mar-
tial.
Each year the local troops make prog
ress step by step. and it is said that one
OF the principal improvements in 1910
VIII be the elimination Of the raw re-
crult from participation in the annual
neid exercises. 1t has been shown that
10 take a newly enlisted man into the
neid before he is properly instructed is
UNFAIR TO the recruit and to the other
members of his command. and it will
no longer be tolerated. Regulations OF
the War Department have been published
10 discourage the practice, and orders
from local headquarters have been issued
positively forbidding It,
Circular No. 8, division of militia
affalrs, contains the following paragraph
as an amendment to the regulations OF
the War Department governing the or.
gained militia when participating in the
eicampment maneuvers and field exer.
clses Of any part of the regular army:
The muster rolls will have entered op-
poslte the name of each enlisted man the
date of his enlistment, and no enlisted
man VIII be mustered for pay who has
not been bona fide member of the or
ganlZatlon for at least six minths prior
TO the date Of the encampment. ma
neuvers or exercises, or has not had
equivalent service in the Army, Marine
Corps or organized militia of the United
States, or who has not been a student
at an educational institution at which
military instruction is given, and who
has not received the elementary instruc-
ton of recruits prescribed as requisite by
the War Department"
To carry out the provisions of this cir
cular District militia headquarters has
issued general orders saying:
Every effort should be made by every
officer and enlisted man of this command
to recruit up this command to the pre-
scribed minimum strength before Feb
ruary l, so that recruits will have six
months service by August 1, 1910"
During the month Immediately proceed
ing the field exercises of 1910 re-
enlistments will be permitted, but no en-
listments will be allowed except by spe-
clal permission in each case from Dis
tr1ct militia headquarters No acquisitions
for equipment or supplies will be honored
except for such articles as have not
been furnished to the militia prior to that
| time. This order will be rigidly enforced.
that any captain who violates it will be
tried. and If found guilty will be de-
prived of his command. The object of
the War Department circular and the
National Guard orders is to make it i'm
possible for company commanders to
fill the ranks of their commands at the
last moment before the encampment with
the. guard simply to have a summer S
outing.
Second Lieut.. George NJ Lands. 1st
Battery. Field Artillery. has resigned
from the guard because his military du-
ties require more time than his business
will permit him to give to the work
Lieut.. Lands has been in the battery
record of excellent service He enlisted
June II, 1902. and was appointed
busler by Capt. Thomas Maroon. Later
he was appointed gunner, and in the fall
of 1908 he was elected second lieutenant
in the battery in one of the most exciting
battery in the old days when officers were
elected by the emil sted perscnnr:. lieut.
Lands served more than four years as
lieutenant, and at the time of his resig-
nation was the senior second Lieutenant Of
the guard. He was popular with the