Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-26
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49,


sources of the manner IN which the
local naval militiamen-officers an6
men-conducted themselves during the
presence of the President and the Sec
rotary of the Navy The men them
selves are pleased that these two dis
tinguished statesmen should give them
even few minutes of their time. The
type of men which Secretary Daniels
saw before him during the exercises
caused him to brand them as "the
flower of the country He praised in
no uncertain terms the efforts of these
men to train themselves to man the
guns and ships of the United States
Navy in time of war
The officers and enlisted personnel
are enthusiastic over the exercises last
Wednesday night, and have deter.
mined to make stronger efforts to build
the battalion up to the strength al
lowed by law. While the number OF
men who stood up before the Presf-
dent last Wednesday night was less
than one-third of the number allow ed
by law, nevertheless. the size of the
drill hall helped them to crowd up into
close file and to make an excellent
showing
Commander Dempf has announced his
intention of starting another recruit
ing campaign for the battalion. He
has several ideas in mind by which he
hopes to bring the battalion up to rank
with the first of the naval militia or
ganiZat atoms in the country. First off,
he wants a full quota of officers and
men. but in recruiting the battalion up
to it's full strength he is DESTROYS OF
having only the best young men OF
the city.
While there is hardly a drill or school
night that goes by that number of
young men do not present themselves for
enlistment, yet they are not coming as
fast as Commander DemDf would like. A
number of social functions at which
prominent persons are expected to adj
dress thea battalion are in contemplation
for the winter season. The visit of the
President and Secretary Daniels starred
them off and il is proposed to hold one
at the regular monthly inspection OF
the battalion on the first Thursday ir
every month
The inability of Pres dent Wilson to
attend on the first Thursday prevented
the muster at that time These social
functions always conclude with dances.
The crowds which have been coming to
these gatherings have grown so of late
that it has been found necessary to re-
strict the attendance to the members of
these gatherings were open to any one
who cared TO come.
= ): i =
Commander Dempf who accompanied
eight of his men to Hampton roads
In order to deliver them to admiral
Badger. omnlander-in- ehief of the At
lantic fleet. SO that they could make
the coming European cruise. Is eS-
pected to return to Washington today
toPether with Ensign Paul Y. Thomp-
son and Chief Machinists Mate X. {.
Henry, who also made the trip with
the commander
Scenes around the dock of the NOR
folk and Washington Steamboat Conn
pany last Thursday night gave a real
war appearance There We're a number
of local jackies there in uniform, those
who were to go and others who were
to stay at home. There were several
tackles saddened because of the last
minute ruling of Secretary Danieis
that while with the ships they could
not receive their civilian pay.
Cheers and cries of bon voyage.
went up as the boat steamed away from
her dock starting the local naval mil
itiamen on two-month cruise to Eu-
rope.
There are number of vacancies in the
commissioned officers grade at the Naval
Battalion. and Commander Demp1 now mas
some material in course OF training for
promotion from the ranks to the commits
stoned grade The schools hold sessions
every Monday night and nave Deen soins
for some time. From the students now III
attendance there there will be plcked'
alter competitive examination. three en-
signs. These promotions, according TO
Commander Dempf, are to be announced
within about a month
In preparation for the promotions or
these enlisted men to the rank OF en-
sign Commander Denpf last Week pro-
NOTED to the rank of lieutenant junior
grade EnSigns w. Granville GuSS, BulSt
{. Getsinger and w. w. Burns. Ihese
officers are veterans in the battalion, and
are considered by Commander Dempa
among the best material he has IN me
organization. They are competent men
in their grades, and well. trained "a
carry out the duties of the grades 70
which they have just been promoted
They wore their extra half stripes for
the first time during the festivities at
the battalion last Thursday night.
These promotions fill the quota OF Ju-
nior lieutenantS allowed the battalion
and. until these men are moved up to the
grade of full lieutenant, all of the junior
commissions in the battalion, with the
exception of three ensigns, soon to be
| filed, will have been closed. Besides the
| three vacancies in the ensign grade there
| are four vacancies in the grade OF full
| lieutenant in the line, and three stan po-
sitions-tWo lieutenants, one as chief sig
nal ordnance and equipment officer, anu
| one as navigator. and one lieutenant-com-
| mander as executive officer. Commander
| Dempf is now looking around for good
material to fill these positions on his
| staff The officers in the lower grades In
| the line. of course, will be promoted a,
| some future date up to the grade of full
lieutenant. This will make more vacan-
| cies in the ensign grade.
The apparatus to be used in the School
of Steam Engineering of the Naval Bat
talon has all been put in place, and 1t is
planned by Commander Dempf formally
| to open the school next Thursday night
There are several steam pumps in the
schooroom, as well as a small marine
engine, such as used in the navy. These
are all loosely bolted. so that they may
and the inside workings explained to the
members of the command. Lieut.. Charles
NJ Smithson, chief engineer officer of the
battalion and Ensign Paul v. Thompson,
| commanding the 4th Division, will teach
| the enlisted personnel of the battalion
| the workings of the engine room on ship
board
1t Is expected that Lieut. Smithson will
deliver a series of lectures in connection
with the school. at which he will instruct
the men in their duties while below the
decks, and of the necessity of keeping
watch on the part of the machinery to
which they are assigned. The OrganiZa-
ton of the school Is another of the moves
Of Commander Dempf to make the local
naval militia one Of the best organiza-
tons of its kind in the country.
How to Move Them.