Evening star., 1912-11-17

ing made for the annual lnspee-
tion of the National Guard or
the District of Columbia. which,
according to military law must
be made during the first five months oi
the year. Col. Parmerter has received
several letters from the War Depart
ment outlining the scope OF the WORK
and showing that the department nous
the coming inspection as one of the most
important functions of the military es
tablishment The magnitude of the task
can be approximated only by perusins
some of the paragraphs OF the ietters
which Col Parmerter has received. ana
then multiplying them to cover all the
organizations of the United states.
Pertinent paragraphs of information
cleaned from the letters are as follows:
INSPECTION of state headquarters will
call for sufficient data to enable the IN
spector to report to the War Department
certain information concerning the per-
sonnel, suitability and efficiency OF once
space, furniture, fixtures and supphes
and system of recording and indexing
correspondence bearing upon the suit
ability and efficiency of United States
property accountability.
houses depots Includes: Return of per-
sonnel. return of property IN duplicate.
showing by departments the number of
each article, serviceable, unserviceable
and total: suitability Of buildings used
for storage purposes and general system
of storage, repair and cleaning of federal
property.
the following suggestions are offered:
..The system of property records and
accountability in. use should be carefully
investigated to see that it fulfills the re-
Guirements of federal property.
THE storage facilities of all depots,
arsenals, armories, etc. should be inves-
tigated 10 see that they are satisfactory,
which includes security from theft, pro-
lection from the elements. freedom from
dampness, molds, moths, injurious gases,
ETC., and sufficient room for the orderly
arrangement of property and additional
space for its inspection, issuing. cleaning
and repair
Mai. Robbins. quartermaster. \. g.
d. c.. intends to forward to the war
Department an estimate covering SSVU
worth of supplies following the pubica-
ton of a report of the quartermaste1
general of the army, in which the de-
partment seems to have undergone
change of heart in regard to the Ma
tional Guard of the District of Columbia.
The situation is a technical one. and
goes back to the old free act, Or the
statute which created the National Guard
of the District of Columbia. Under that
act a certain amount of supplies was to
be given to the brigade annually. After
the Dick bill was enacted and after a
subsequent law provided that a total of
81. 100000 worth of supplies should be
distributed to the National Guards of the
various states. including the District OF
Columbia, the military division cut out
the old free act and no distribution
| was made of the supplies authorized by
| it.
The local quartermaster department has
always been of the opinion that this de-
ciSion was arbitrary, and that it was not
! in accordance with law; and evidently
Gen. Aleshire has come to the same con-
cluSion, for in his report he announces
that the army estimates should contain
| that this distribution can be made with
out causing drain on the army supply
depots
BY invitation of Col. Joseph c. Gar
rard, 18th Cavalry. l.. s. A.. commando
ant at Fort Myer. Va. the entire brigade
of the National Guard of the District OF
Columbia will witness cavalry and artil-
lery drills in the riding hall at the post
the evenings of Friday, November 20
and Friday. December q. Special commu-
nicationS will he issued from brigade
headquarters indicating the evening on
which the various organizations are eX.
pected to appear at the riding hall. The
drills at Fort Myer are world famous
and have been seen by army and navy
attaches from every civilized country
have been a feature of society life here
and have attracted the admiration OF
representatives, senators and cabinet of
ficers and all other government officials
1t is almost useless to mention that Col
Garrard's intimate acquaintance with tho
N.r-x,- - ~f (s~I,,
bia began over a year ago. when 'offi-
GERS school was held at his post. pre-
paratory to the encampment at Fred
erick, and that he was the army officer
in command at the joint encampment at
Bolivar Heights, w. Va. last August.
* * X
The passage in Gen. Aleshires report
which covers the subject is as follows:
"There We're gratuitiously issued to the
militia of the District of Columbia during