The Washington herald., 1911-10-29
BY RUSSELL VI. McLENNAN,

First Lieutenant. Signal Corps. y. C. D. c.
The officers schools, held three nights
a week, are proving a great success.
Each meeting is attended by Capt. j. B.
Allison, L. S. A, the inspector-instructo or
for the District National Guard, and the
officers are beneiting by his instructive
talks.
Interesting drills are being held every
Friday night by the First Battery, Field
Artillery, which is under the command
of Capt. J. Harry Shannon. The battery
has gone back to permanent section for
nation for its drill work, which is made
doubly interesting by the use of horses
for the harness drill and the mounted
drill.
Sergt. Benjamin, of the regular army,
is conducting the school for battery non
commissioned officers
Maj. Boyd Taylor, the paymaster of
the District militia, is now busiIy engaged
on his annual report and is being ably
assisted by Capt T. r. Clark
Mai. Taylor who has been connected
with the Washington Loan and Trust
Company for twenty-five years, and who
is now its assistant treasurer, was ap-
pointed paymaster. with the rank of
major, in August. 1909 Previous to that
time he was for many years connected
with the pay department of the Guard
in a civilian capacity.
Capt. Oliver c. Terry. comma ding the
Signal Corps, has begun his preparations
for the next annual encampment Due
TO the mounting of the entire command
and its growth since he was assigned to
its command, the work in preparation Is
proving heavy.
RequiSitions for electrical, ordnance, and
Guartermaster supplies in large guam
titles have been sent to headquarters
and are being approved.
The drills of the company in telegraphy
and telephony are proving interesting, and
the men are showing that the instruction
given them is not wasted. There are at
least five who give promise of being good
telegraphers by EeNt summer.
AS the usefulness of a soldier depends
a great deal upon his efficiency as
marksman. and in the handling of the
rifle, special attention will be devoted
this winter and next summer to instruc-
ton along these lines. With this in view,
the following general order concerning
gallery practice for the ensuing year. has
been issued by Brig. Cen Harries, COM
manding:
1t is believed that the best results for the
entire Guard will be obtained by limiting
the prescribed gallery practice to officers
and men who have never qualified as
mIrkSmen or better with the rifle. by
using some trained shots as instructors
at the sighting, position and aiming and
gallery practice drills by allowing the
remainder OF the Guard to engage in vol
untary gallery practice, and by furnish
ing a reasonable amount of gallery am
munition free for the prescribed and vol
untary practice.
The low figure of merit of the Guard is
due primarily to nonattendance at the
target range, and also to the lack of pre-
liminary instruction of many officers and
men before going ts the range. II is the
duty of each officer not only himself to
with the weapon with which his COM
mand is armed, but also to be able to in
struCt the enlisted men of his command
in the sighting, position, and aiming and
gallery practice drills and in range firing,
and to give this instruction to his COM
mand.
In the past too much reliance has been
placed upon the instruction given by in
speCtorS of small arms practice and by
ordnance officers in the gallery and on
the range.
No officer or enlisted man will be per-
mitted to fire on the target range during
the target year Of 1872 unless he has re-
Ceived instruction in sighting drill and
in gallery practice, or unless he has pre-
ViOuSly qualified markSman or better
in special course c.
Troops armed with the revolver must
have preliminary instruction before firing
on the range.
The gallery will be assigned two even
ings each month during November 16 to
December Is. 1911. January, February. and