The Washington times., 1911-05-20
NEXT YEARS DRILL
At BALL. PARK, IS
SLOGAN OF CADETS
- :
Officials Realize Need of
Space Where Adherents
Can Segregate.
SEE NECESSITY OF
KEEPING UP INTEREST
Company D, of Technical, Wins
After Close Rub With
= Western.

Next years competitive drill Of the
High School Cadet Regiment at Ameri-
can League baseball park, is today's
slogan of members of the Board of Edu-
cation, school officials, and teachers, fol-
lowing the exhibition Of Thursday and
yesterday, which was won for the third
time in five years by Company D, of
the Technical High School. Capt. A. NJ.
King. first lieutenant.
This years drill was more successful
in several ways than any which have
preceded it. The worry and work oc-
casioned by the equitable distribution of
tickets was eliminated. since no tickets
of admission were necessary to witness
the drill on the E1lipse. But there was
a noticeable lack of enthusiasm, which
in former years has been one OF the
greatest features of the annual drill.
It was pointed out today by school Of
ficials that any dying of Of enthusiasm
is a bad habit to foster. Argument was
made that with the drill on the Ellipse
there could be no way of setting aside.
certain sections of the bordering ground
for the different schools 1t was rare
TO see more than score or more or
students OF the same school together at
either Yesterdays or Thursdays drill
But If there was some lack of en-
thusiasm among the spectators OF the
drill yesterday, there is enough at Tech
nical and among Technical students
wherever they are today to make UP for
the deficit.
School Adjourns.
AS usual. school has adjourned over
Saturday, and Sunday. but there are
gatherings of the Clans" who wear
maroon and gray colors on their sleeves,
and who are enjoying a well-deserved
vii
that every member of D Company, from
captain down to private, founts from
conspicuous place on his cadet blouse
a much coveted red ribbon. pinned there
by the hand. of Major General Weaver,
chief of staff of the Coast Artillery.
II was a dramatic moment when
Colonel Rathbone ordered the regi-
mental adjutant, Captain Roper, TO
report to the three judges and obtain
the name of the winning company.
Where cheers and school yells and
the waving of flags had made the
spectacle one of orderly pandemoni-
UNI, every call was stopped and every
cheer cut short. With banners and
ribbons hanging loosely, every one
of the $4,000 students and other spec
tators awaited with intense quiet as
Captain Roper learned the result
which meant so much. In turn. ne
Informed Colonel Rathbone, who then
ordered Captain Roper to inform the
captain of the winners to report with
bis full command to General Weaver.
Awaiting the Decision.
The crowd thought the regimental
sdjutant had never taken such slow
steps And they knew he had never
taken so long to turn as he came
to a fun halt in the exact center
of the regiment before turning to
the left 1t meant gloom to adherents
of the companies on the right. Sud
denly he stopped before Company d,
and he had hardly come to full halt
before the eXultant Technical stu
dents let go such cheers as have not
been heard on the White House Ell
lipse in years.
At first it was only the Technical
adherents of Company D who cheered:
Then was added the cheers OF all
Technical students who realized the
day was theirs. Slowly the volume
of the cheering grew as there was
added cheering by every school.
Company H Shows Well.
1t was thought many times during
the drilling of Company H of West
ern that that organization would push
the winners hard for first honors.
Company h, commanded by Capt.
Edwin Alexander Bethel, was the
largest organization in the entire
regiment. With First Lieutenant
Harry Cullen Blanton. Second Lieu
tenant Harold Blantz, and Third |
Lieutenant John Aspinwall, Captain
Bethel handled his unusually large
company with a military precision
and snap that won him unstinted
applause from school officials, army
officers, and pupils and friends of
other schools. The large company
was a great handicap, but Captain
Blanton and his three well-trained
officers overcame the handicap in
soldierly manner.
Companies L. K. and c. all of Tech |
nfcal were commanded by Capts. |
A G. Bissett. G. D. Brosner, and D.
v. Mahoney respectively. ALI of these
companies went through their pro-
gram well within the time limit, and
all were complimented on their SOL
dierly bearing and military training
by General. Weaver.