Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-07

officially opening the work OF
III the coming year, Is over, and
the u s. S. Sylvia has been
officially "housewarmed," activities will
begin Immediately on preparations for
the muster to be held the first Thurs
day In October. This. 1t Is declared. is
to be really the biggest affair which
has ever been held by the battalion.
Some Of the highest officials of the
government are expected to be there,
including members Of Congress and
cabinet officers Special preparations
will be made IN the way Of decorations
on the ship. on the dock and in the
armory. and the chief musician Of the
Naval Battalion Band has been in
structed to arrange q special musical
program, and to train his men in play
ing the numbers without even the
slightest flaw.
Invitations will soon be out for TINS
affair, and the real preparations are
now going on for the reception for the
officials of the government and navy,
army and National Guard of the Dis
trict Of Columbia
The purpose Of the entertainments is
to interest the people in these general
musters of the battalion. and to get
them to take an interest in the work OF
the local Naval Battalion.
The competitive drills in the manual
Of arms, for money prizes. is feature
of the general muster which encour-
ages the men to take an interest In
the infantry work, and to attempt to
stand up longest before the large au-
dience which usually assemblies for
the ceremonies and for the dancing and
these musters.
Every effort is being made by Com
mander Dempf to encourage the de-
sirable men Of the city to enlist in the
battalion. and this social feature the
first Thursday in every month is in
tended to be one Of the drawing cards
of the battalion. This feature of the
battalion's work has the approval OF
the Navy Department, for Assistant
Secretary Franklin D. Roosevelt OF
fact when he attended one of the mus
tiers recently and spoke encouraging
words to the boys.
The local battalion certainly has the
assistant secretary behind them, for he
worked harder than any one else in or
der to find a boat for them in which
to continue the fine practice work which
they began on the battleship Alabama
the first part of July. He even went sc
far as to remove the Sylvia from another
naval militia organization. which seemed
to be getting no use out OF her.
1t is evident that the assistant secre-
tary will not be disappointed by hi:
action, for the work of the regular crew
assigned to the Sylvia, as well as thai
of the naval militiamen in fixing VI
the boat, has made it one of the fines
vessels of its kind on the Potomac. Al
| ready the Navy Department, it wa.
learned, has made note Of the fact tina
the local Naval Militia has made use O.
the little craft by taking it out on {
lthree-day cruise down the Potomac, and i
| Is said comments have been heard of tn,
promptness with which the local nava
| militiamen made preparations to use thu
boat for cruising purposes
x x ;: x
Already plans are being made by Com
mander Dempf to take several Sunda,
der to give the men some real naval train
| ing. On the recent three-day cruise there
| were numerous drills held on the vessel
such as abandon ship, fire drill and col
the militiamen aboard the vessel answered
the bugle calls and got to their assigned
stations was q cause of much cOEfnen
on the part of the guests on the vessel.
In view of the fact that the Sylvia can
not accommodate the full complement O
has decided to let these trips be a reward
for those men who are regular in at
| tendance and show a genuine desire t.
learn the naval work.
Naval Battalion dock the recruiting
campaign has been fairly bristling. Their,
is nothing better as a drawing card for tn.
Naval Battalion than to have a shil
for the men to work on. There is hardly
drill night at the battalion that there
are not several new men added to tn,
complement. However, Commander Demp
is extremely DESTROYS of getting the bat
TALON up to it's full complement of 400
If the enlistments come in like they have
<1,n yy1vyio orv.fxy 4,
a matter Of several months before thai
number will be reached.
* X X
Despite all of the good work which tn,
| battalion is doing. several of the olde
members have remained away from drills
AS Commander Dempf has stated before
he will not stand tor this as long as Their,
is law behipd him to prevent it. H,
says the meh enlisted to learn nava
work, they knew they had to give on,
night a week to it,, and he is going to Sc,
that they do it.
absent from the last two drills are be-
ing collected, and it is possible that the,
Will have to answer to cOurt-martia
for their shortcomings. In this connec
showing the stand of commander Dempf
1.-THE attendance at the last two drill:
has not been what it should. I have ap
pealed to each mans pride and interes
In the battalion to be more regular il
his attendance. This has not met witt
the proper results. Now there is but
one way left and that Is to procure thi.
attendance by law. and I intend to tr,
all such cases from now on by court
martial, and the result will certainly be
executed by the United States marsha
for the District Of Columbia, according
to law.
From now on the man that absent>
himself from two consecutive drills, with.
out permission. can look for service tC
appear before a cOurt-martial."