Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-03

gone about two weeks. AdJt.
Gen Smiley. who represented the
National Guard OF the District
at the annual convention of the Inter-
state National Guard Association, and
Lieut. Col. Young. who went as dele
gate from the 1st Infantry. will leave
San Francisco for home tomorrow.
Regular drills of the National Guard
were resumed Friday evening, when the
Sd Battalion, LIST Infantry. under COM
mand of Mai. George l.. Tate; the LIST Bat
terry Field Artillery and the Signal Com
pany, under command Of Lieut. Leonard
H. Johnson, assembled for the first drill
of the winter season. BY the end of this
week every organization in the guard will
have had its first drill and the Theoretical:
and practical instruction vii! be in fa:i
swing The assemblies Friday night in
dicated a far larger attendance than Is
customary at the first drills after the vaca-
ito nseason and the reason assigned by
the officers Is that the men have already
come TO realize that the new militia law
provides severe penalties for non-attend-
ance at drills, except for good and SUI
ficient cause.
tend drill under the present regulations
is required to give an explanation, and II
the explanation is not satisfactory he IS
ordered before a court-martial. If he ne
elects to obey the summons he finds
member Of the police department waiting
at his door. and little later he is brought
to the summary court in the patrol
wagon. Payment of the fines imposed
by the military courts is equally unavoid-
able. They are collected by the United
States marshal. The men of the guard
have cheerfully accepted the new order
OF things, as was evidenced by the de-
termined manner in which they took up
their work Friday night.
Members Of the list Battery assembled
for drill at 30 o'clock. O'Clock or .
o'clock in the evening Friday. The after
noon drills have been arranged for those
members of the command who WORK
nights. either in the bureau of engraving
and printing or in the navy yard. The
afternoon drills are in charge of Sergt.
Trussell. Friday afternoon he gave the
men standing gun drill and instructed
them in the mechanism of the new 3-inch
field piece.
In the evening drill. after the orders
issued during the period that drill had
been suspended were read to the men
and their contents explained, the battery
was formed under the electric lights In
front of the armory and given Standing
gun drill by platoons under command of
Lieut.. Edward NJ. Nevils, and Lieut.. J.
Brent Clarke. The posts of the can
noneers were frequently changed, so that
each one was given an opportunity to
become familiar with the various posi-
lions in serving the piece.
A third platoon has been formed in the
battery and placed under command of
Lieut.. George M. Lands. The command
will be recruited UP to its minimum
strength Of 13S men within the next Few
weeks. Several applications for enlist
ment were received Friday evening.
Plans for the new armory, which is
being prepared for the battery and the
Signal Company, have been revised
somewhat, after consultation between
the architect and Maj Robbins. Capt.
Fox and Lieut.. Johnson. They are now
completed, and were on remodeling the
buildings on Missouri avenue between Az
and 9th streets will begin this week. The
armory will be ready for occupancy by
December l.
The Signal Company had an interesting
drill Friday night under command of
Lieut.. johnson, LIST Infantry, who is de-
tailed in command of the company. The
men are much interested in the reorgan-
ization of the company, which 10 taking
place gradually. 1t is generally under
stood that Gen. Harries intends to make
the Signal Company Of the District one
of the best in the organized militia of the
country. There is considerable discussion
among the enlisted men as to VINO Will
be appointed captain and lieutenants OF
the company.
There are many rumors afioat, but the
selections have not yet been made 1t
is thought that Lieut.. G. NJ. Lands OF
the LIST Battery Field Artillery, VINO IS
an expert electrician. will be transferred
as a lieutenant to the Signal Company.
Lieut.. John Doyle Carmody OF the lst
Division of the Naval Battalian has made
application for appointment as first lieu
tenant in the ordnance department. His
application has been approved, and he
will be appointed as soon as lac passes
the requisite examination.
Capt. Robert Cook. formerly quarter
master of the LIST Infantry. has accepted
A. commission as captain in the pay de-
Dartment Capt. Cook only recently re-
turned from trip to Europe
Numerous applications have been re-
ceived at militia headquarters for APP
continents in the medical corps OF the
National Guard 1t can De sald on sooa
authority, however, that all but two OF
the vacancies that 1t is intended to MI
at the present time were provided Tor
by the promotions made just before the
brigade left for the field exercises In
Massachusetts, and selections have al
readv been made for the remaining two
The surgeons selected will be commission
cd as soon as Gen. Harries returns from
the west. There are other positions pro-
vided for, but they will not be filled uh.ii