Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-15

by the commanding officer, and has gone
out in the way of instructions to the di-
visional officers of the battalion. He has
informed these officers that he will not
under any circumstances permit a rush
of recruits just before the battalion goes
on its annual cruise on a battleship. This
practice which has been followed by the
battalion in years past, will no longer be
permitted under the terms of the instruc-
. tons which have been issued by Com
mander Dempf. He has pointed out that
to enlist number of green men just be
tore cruise time lowers the general eff
cheney of the whole battalion while on
shipboard. These men. unframed as they
necessarily are, are unable to answer all
calls to duty as promptly as the men
who have been in the naval militia serN-
ice for nearly year He has explained
to his officers that the period before the
cruise when enlistments are stopped Will
be longer this year than it has ever been
before Commander Dempf declared that
when the battalion disembarks from the
big ship after its cruise period he wants
the regular officers to be able to stamp
efficient on the battalion in general
and every officer and man in particular
| This cannot be done, he said, when a
! large number of new men are ENLISTED
| few weeks before the date set for be-
ginning the annual cruise.
| In his efforts to make the Naval Bat
|
! Commander Dempf has taken particular
/ note of the paragraph in Secretary
| Daniels annual report, under the head
+, ing: Opening New Doors 1t says:
THE. best impulse that can be gwen TO
| the enlisted men in the navy IS to open
| new doors to advancement and promo
| ton Thousands every year come nto
| the service, bringing the talents and the
ambitions essential to the production OF
! our best American citizenship. 1t was
y d
/. promotion from raw recruit TO oHicer,
| except in the case Of a genus TO Whoni
/, netes and bounds count tor nau2ht
There are few opportunities now LOT
! capable and aspiring enlltsed men
though wear by year new doors or nope
and opportunity are opened to them. me
avenue from the man below decks 10 the
officer should be made easy
In forming plans for making the Naval
battalion attractive for the young men
of tb, city Commander Dempf is follow
ing the spirit outlined in this paragraph
with such changes as are made neces-
sary b, the fact that he is dealing WIN
the naval militia and not the regular
service.
In preparation for the participation
By the Naval Battalion tomorrow in the
ceremonies in connection with the ami
versai.y of the blowing up of the battle
ship Maine Lieut.. W. Grtnyiiie Grss
executive officer. with the aid OF Lieut.
r. C Getsinger, commanding the ist
Division. and Lieut. W. w. Burns com
handing the I'd Division. put the MEM
bers of the battalion through series of
inf:Stry drill movements last Thursday
night The men. though many of them
are new TO this work. are now becoming
very proficient in marching.
The battalion is ordered by Commander
Dempf to form at the Naval Battalion
armory at IL o'clock tomorrow. when
it will board street cars for the trip to
Arlington, where the ceremonies are to
be held The Naval Battalion will be the
only military organization present at the
ceremonies. the Secretary of State having
protested to parade on that date
Service cards will be issued to govern
ment employees.
:: :: = ::
The L. S S Sylvia left the battalion
dock last Sunday morning at 8 O'Clock
for its weekly cruise down the river.
Commander Dempf was in command.
while Ensign Harold L. Crawford. LIST
Division. nayigated the ship during the
trip The vessel steamed down to point
just below Marshall Hall. where the
anchor was dropped. While the crew an
swered the mess call. After a short
period of rest the anchor was weighed