Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-21
GUARD RANKS THIN
IN DISTRICT CAMP
Less Than 300 Men, Instead
of 1000, Fror National
Capital at Gettysburg
REAL SOLDIERS WANTED
FOR SERVICE IN FUTURE
Weeding-0ut Process Now Under
Way Expected to Benefit.
FOUND CAMPGRoUND DIRTY
Pennsylvania Troops Not Particular
as to Conditions They Left Be-
hind-Strenuous Work.

hind-Strenuous Work.
Special From StaY Correspondent
GETTYSBURG. Pa, July 2l.--Jerked
up short and sharp, the loose ends OF the
District National Guard got the shock
OF their lives yesterday when they were
all jumped by both Gen Harries and the
regular officers in command OF the camp.
Gen. Harries wants to know why the
strength of the National Guard OF the
District OF Columbia is dwindnng. and to
find out he has issued confidential orders
which will bring every officer to his tent
to tell him. The orders state that the
general wants to know what each ofYicer
believes is the reason for the small num-
Der OF men in camp this year. 1t has
been supposed that 1000 men were In the
District of Columbia camp. but in reality
there are less than 1 300.
Company Integrity Lost.
These matters are held in strict con-
hdence. as the brigade officers do not
want to have the discussion to become
general. One of the reasons which COM
pany officers put forward is that the re-
organization Of the guard makes it i'm
possible to keep the old-time company
formations as they existed for years In
Washington. Nowadays anybody il like
iy to be promoted to be captain or lieu
tenant, provided he is q real soldier. It
Is exactly like the regular army in that
respect. The old way allowed the men
to elect the most popular man as cap
tain. A boilermaker could not be the
captain Of a company Of aristocrats. Now
1t Is all different. That's but one reason.
though. Some of the men were tired
and sick Of military life after the Massa-
chusetts experience last year.
However. this spirit Of discomfort will
not last forever. and il this has any.
thing to do with the present small
strength. the time will come when the
guard will be in stronger shape than
ever. At least the officers predict It.
They believe that the undesirables in
the guard will be weeded out and only
real soldiers will be left.
Busy at Mess Time.
There is much kicking because OF Q
confusion of orders last night about
mess time. Some photographers got
around camp and got the brigade and
regimental officers to line up for pic
lures about the time mess sounded.
There had been a confusion of orders
on the hour fer mess. and in addition
Gen. Harries had ordered every officer
to accompany him to the tent Of Gen.
Wotherspoon. in command of the camp.
All this fell within single half hour.
There was some very soldier like
expletive language along the company
streets In consequence.
The District National Guard has a
dirty camp. There Is no getting around
il and it is not the fault of the boys
from the capital, either. The regular
officers roasted the guard good and
sharp today, and every officer who has
anything to do with the policing and
cleanliness of the camp was put on
his mettle.
The main trouble lies with the fact
that the Pennsylvania guardsmen left
things in a mess. There are more flies
roosting around the mess the men from
the keystone state left than there are
in all Washington 1t would seem. Now
the District boys are on the same camp
ground and they are not living on
bed of roses by any means. The stories
floating around the camp are to the ef-
feet that the Pennsylvania troops did
not want to come here. they sulked IN
their tents while they were here and
took no interest in keeping things clean.
And now the District boys are getting II
good and hot from the United States
Army officers. Instructions were given
out by Maj e. Fred Cook which will
probably result in a thorough scrubbtng
and washing and policing everywhere In
camp.
Attack on the Camp.
For the first time during the mAneuvers
this big camp was under fire all day
yesterday, as all the regular troops
marched out into the country early in
the morning and attacked the camp. Five
rounds Of blank ammunition was given
to every man. The 10Th United States
Infantry and the I'd United States In
fantry were snooping around the camp
all day, waiting to take a pot shot at
any ina ginary enemy that II thought IL
saw.
While this bang-bang business was 60
ing on the Districts soldiers were away
off from camp. practicing outpost duty.
They, too, had five rounds of the real
bullets, Of course-and every
now and then a District guardsman would
be shot through his thorax. The 1st and
I'd Regiments split in two each battalion
becoming an enemy of its erstwhile
friends. The men have been cautioned
against firing at each other with blank
,artrfdees at too close a range. Some OF
The green men that were here with the
troops found that even pa
per bullets can makS--,ounds. Some of
hose fellows began banging away at
ZACH other at about twc5cy yards. The
result was that more tlSs one man was
BADLY hurt. The Pennsylvanians got into
me of these tactical scraps with the
,ardened veterans of the I'd Regulars and
oeean shooting paper tsallets at them.
The regulars knew all sHout these blank
70 rtr;dSes. and rather than get hurt with
.hem began chasing the Pennsylvanians
IN the field with rocks.
Honors Heaped on Band.
The District Of Columbia is honored
~ the choice of the I'd Infantry Band
o play at dress parade Sunday when
thousands of visitors will be here from
Is far as Washington. Dress parade
q the dress-up occasion Of the day.
That's when the girls see the BRASS
,utton side Of soldier life. Dress ~
ade was an invention Of q militia