Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-06

"a of the District of Columbia does
u not open for more than two
weeks, the local citizen soldiery
are looking forward with interest to the
time when they can get out on the range
and fire real bullets at paper enemies.
and then see what they have done.
From April % until July 81 the citizens
of Congress Heights, D. c., will be treated
to the almost constant cracking Of mus
kerry as the marksmen stand up to the
lines and attempt to make records. The
atmosphere will be charged with the
smell of war. for as the sentries travel
around the camp at night and protect
those who are slumbering and dreaming
Of chasing enemies and of laurels won In
the heat of battle it would be risky for
an inquisitive ''citizen spy" anxious to
see what the protectors of the District
are doing, to poke even the tip OF his
nose over the guard line.
The men of the guard are cleaning up
their rifles and making other prepare
tons to make fine showing on the
range. Activities are seen everywhere
guardSmen are collected which indicate
that every attempt is going to be made to
obtain good records when the time comes
TO get up to the line and pull the triggers.
x x x x
Guard OF the District of Columbia has en-
tered upon new era in it's history. Its
new commander. Joseph A Dempf, has
jumped to the helm, and before many
months have passed it is expected that
the local organization will be able to
compete with any other of it's kind in the
country in naval work Commander
Dempf says he has determined to weed
out all of the so-caI1ed dead wood and
hox TO vVh n q
not a real worker and willing to assist In
the success and uplift of the organiZa-
tion
The work of reorganization has already
been started 1t is expected that the full
complement of 400 members will be
reached before many months have pass
ed, although at the present time there
are only approximately $50 men in the
command. However, forty OF these have
been enlisted since March 1. With a
record like this before him SO far, Com
mander Dempf says he expects to further
increase the numbers.
Opportunities are held out to the young
men of the city for instruction. Schools
of navigation. seamanship engineering
and wireless telegraphy have been estab-
lished. At the drill last Thursday even
ing glimpse inside of the Naval Bat
ta1ion's building gave the appearance Of
well regulated institution of learning.
The schools were in session and all the
officers and men had a duty to perform,
and they did 1t in an orderly way. The
clerical force was kept busy. and the COM
berS of the battalion encouraging and in
structing them
An ultimatum has been issued from
Commander Dempf's Office to the men of
the battalion. and next Thursdays drill
will mark the beginning of the wedding
out process. The men have been told
that there will be a general muster next
Thursday night and the retention OF
each individual in the service will de-
pend on his attendance at this muster.
He declares that the dead wood" will
be out Of the service within two weeks.
Commander Dempf intends to insist on
regular attendance at drills He says
that when the U. S. S. Wasp, now at
New YORK. is turned over to the local
organization as training ship it is pro-
posed that the battalion shall make week
end trips down the Potomac during the
summer, and that only men who are reg
ular in attendance will be allowed to
participate in the trips. BY these out
ings Commander Dempf hopes to give
his men more actual experience in sea-
manship.
A school for officers and those who
have announced their applications for
commissions is held every Thursday
evening. Another feature OF the New
Naval Battalion which is expected to
create interest in the entertainments
which 1t is proposed to give is the enlist
ment Of a full ships band Musicians
are rehearsing Wednesdays and Sundays,
and when the Wasp arrives concerts will
be given on board during the evenings
Ensign Joseph d. Dalton, acting exec
utiye officer. has been ordered before a
board of examination for promotion. En-
sign Dalton is one of the prime spirits in
the formation of the new organization
and with Commander Dempf and others
is credited with making things hum down
near the arsenal
The floods OF the Mississippi have
reached out to Washington and are caus-
ing CONSERVATION among the members
of the local naval militia. The L. S. 8.
Isle de Luzon. now at some point in the
Mississippi river. will go to New York
to relieve the Wasp, which will come
here for the training ship OF the Dis
tricts Naval Battalion. Naval Battalion
officers here declare that they have been
anxiously waiting for some time for
water enough to float the Isle de Luzon
down to the mouth of the Father of
Waters and get her to the New York
naval militia in order that the latter
will release the Wasp for this city.
Now there is too much water" said
one Of the local officers. land il she
starts down the river the vessel might
be found on somebody's farm before she
gets TO the mouth or the river
The local militiamen are looking for
ward with no little interest to the arrival
OF the Wasp. 1t was explained that she
Is a small vessel and can be much more
easily navigated in the Potomac river
than any vessel which has come here for
the use Of the naval reserves 1t is
believed that the men will get much
more actual sea experience from the use
OF this vessel than has ever been OBJ
tained from other vessels placed at the
disposal OF the Districts sea fighters
All the line officers of the National
Guard have been ordered to report for
examination in field service regulations
April 10. Paragraphs 40 to IT'S and 1873
to 206 will be covered. First Lieut.. G..
A Lynch, Z. s. A, will conduct the
examination at the Center Market
Armory.
The following modified description of
target D is given by the division Of
militia affairs. War Department:
black silhouette representing a SOL
der in the prone position placed in
the middle of rectangular target six
by six feet: value Of hits in figure Ave
A space Immediately outside the figure
of parallel outline whose width above
and at the sides Of figure is four inches.
and below is fourteen inches; value of
hits, four. A space Immediately out
side the fourth space, Of parallel out
line, whose width above and at the
sides is eight inches. and below is sig
ho