The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-02
WILL TRY BLUES
BY COURT MAR T|AL
Thirteen Soldiers to An
sWer for Failure to
Attend Camp.
TRIAL HAS BEEN
SET FOR AUGUST Fl
More Than Fifty Men of First
Infantry Will Be Heard on
Similar Charge-Opposition
of Employers to Military
Duty Is Principal
Cause.

Thirteen members OF the Richmond
Light Infantry Blues Battalion will
be called upon to defend themselves
before court martial to answer to
the charge OF disobedience OF mill
tary orders. The specific oncnse is
that these soldiers failed to report at
the armory on the morning OF sun
day. July Is. for duty IN the camp at
Basic City, and were without the fur
loughs which would alone have ex-
cused them,
The order for the court martial was
issued yesterday b. Acknowledgement
w. w. sale. The tribunal Will assem-
bic at the armory AT 10 o'clock in the
morning OF August 81. II is to
be composed OF men who VIII be
withou, local influences. Iney are
Lieutenant Colonel .. W. Salomonsky,
OF the Fourth Infantry; Major Clinton
l. Wright. adjutant- OF the
First Brigade. and Captain l. Branch
johnson. OF the Norfolk Ligh; AruI-
lery Blues The Judge advocate, or
prosecuting oiiicer. viii be Captain
Jennings G. Wise. OF this city udju-
iant OF the battalion OF aeld artillery.
Orders Are General.
No names OF offenders are men
toned in the order. and the identity
Tulged. The order merely sets forth
that the court has been called for the
purpose OF trying all such cases IS
may be brought before it, aHd. OF
course. the men who are charged with
the disobedience VIII be notified 10 be
present. together with such witnesses
as may DC called TO substantiate the
truth OF the acoustic
Although surprisingly large num-
Der Of the members OF the Blues Bat
TALON. when all the circumstances are
considered, We're absent without leave.
j. he total is as nothing when compared
with the men OF the First Battalion.
First Infantry. who Will be called
upon to answer 10 the same charge
Major Price mas not forwarded his OIL
o.al report on this subject. but said
last night that ne expected between
nifty and sixty men Will be court
martialed for failure TO attend the
camp at Culpepcr last week. Search
ing squads rounded up good many
del.nquents on the night before the
departure Tor camp, but many others
were not found. and made good their
escape from camp duty. Whether they
Will be so successful in evading pun
ishment would seem TO be more spec
ulative.
Means n Crisis,
1t is recognized by all concerned
that serious results are almost sure
to follow the application OF sterner
military rules 10 the organized militia
OF Virginia. Never before has such
/. strict compliance with the usages
OF the National Guard been demanded
or attempted
Perhaps more important than all.
the trial will again raise. and posi-
bly, bring to an acute point, the much
discussed topic OF the attitude of the
employers of members OF the Virginia
Volunteers toward military duty. 1t
is recognized that some. at least. OF
the men who failed in obedience TO
military authority did so out of fear
OF losing the positions on which their
daily bread depends
Some employers put the choice OF
occupa ton or OF camp duty souareiy
up TO the men under them. with the
result that the soldier was in many
alternatives.
1t will be remembered that the i'm
portunities of employers Of milit!amen
made Major Bowless life mis-
cradle for ten days preceding the de-
parture FOR camp. They logged his
footsteps, presented arguments innu-
merable, drove him from MS office.
and finally sat up with him most OF
the night OF July is. But to no avail.
only III Hdll u QOLen cNlTSHle cases
were furloughe granted. To issue
few permits he mas found, therefore.
is to open the bars and TO present a
Just cause for complaint to those who
are refused the same favor, or else to
30 deplete the ranks OF the battalion
by absence as to make its attendance
at camp a joke, or as was the case
one year ago. to prevent its p4rtici-
patton altogether.
The hope is expressed tn; t as a re-
suit Of more soldier-like methods there
Will be brought about better under
standing between the militia and those
who employ its members.
OF course, 1t is fully understood that
some of the men who are to be court
Inartialed had no such valid excuse.
and merely desired to evade the hard
work. taking a chance of evadins
punishment when falling to report for
duty.
The keenest Interest is shown by
all military men in the developments
OF yesterday which constituted the
sole topic of conversation around the
local armories last night.