Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-20
PLANS FOR CAMP
PLEASE ST TROOPS
Surf. Bathing and Other At
fractions, With HeaIthfuI
Surroundings, Assured.
VIRGINIA BEACH TO BE IL
i ATTRACTION AT NIGHT
The District National Guard Seeks
Steamer Capable of Trans
porting Entire Brigade.

HleUperS OF the National Guard OF the
District of Columbia are looking forward
with much pleasure to the prospective
encampment of the organization at Vir-
ginia Beach, Va. where they will have
surf bathing and summer resort where
they may congregate in the evening
The principal matter now to be looked
after by the brigade headquarters in The
Star building is the arrangement of sat
isfactory transportation rates Mai. AL
fred P. Robbins. quartermaster. N G.
D. c.. probably will go to Baltimore this
afternoon to see If he can obtain a yes
sci there suitable to carry the guards
men to Norfolk, where they will disem-
bark and entrain for the camp. Steam
boat and railroad lines leading out OF
Washington have quoted high rates to
the guardsmen for the trip to and from
the camp grounds.
There is no vessel now at Washington
which could carry the entire guard te
Norfolk. 1t would be necessary to take
half OF the men July 1 and. have the
vessel return and take the remainde,
July z. In the return trip those of the
guardsmen who left Washington first
would be called upon to be the advance
guard in breaking camp.
An Ideal Camp.
The camp site picked out by the board
OF National Guard officers is declared to
be an ideal one In every way. Right on
the camp grounds there is a fresh water
lake where the men can fish and boat
Half mile distant is the ocean, where
they can go bathing, and in the evening
they can go to Virginia Beach for their
evenings entertainment, At the resort
there are various forms Of amusement.
and one of the largest dancing pavilions
in that section Of the country. An cleo
trio railway runs right to the camp
grounds from Virginia Beach.
There undoubtedly will be lots of time
for the guardsmen to enjoy themselves.
1t is probable that the drills and exer-
cises will be held almost exclusively in
the morning, leaving the afternoons for
the men to go bathing in the surf and
the evenings for them to go to Virginia
Beach.
Report Satisfactory Results.
By following such a plan the officers OF
the Virginia National Guard, when they
encamped there. found that they. obtain
ed the best work out Of. the men. as is
evidenced by the following excerpts from
the report of Col. Robert F. Leedy, COM
handing the I'd Infantry, Virginia Ma
tional Guard:
'"The men were given large latitude
with the knowledge and acquiesence Of
the brigade commander, and am prout
to report that the men Of my regimen
did not abuse their privileges. / have
never seen men conduct themselves in {
more soldierly< manner. / have never
seen them respond to duty with more
alacrity, nor have ever seen them more
cheerful than in this camp. The dieci
pline was as nearly perfect as / hav'
ever seen anywhere.
The program outlined by the com
manding general was one of work. Val
uable and Instructive work, but 1t was 81
timed as to give nearly the entire after
noon to diversion and such pleasures a,
| the mon might seek, all Of which tol(
| much in keeping up the spirits of tn.
men during the one period and making
them vigorous and prompt during tn
other With just such a program on al
| encampments the men could be kept al
ways in better spirits, and in the enc
accomplish more real benefits"
Flies and Mosquitoes Scarce.
The report Of the medical ofhcer o
| the Virginia guard shows the camp t.
| have an excellent health record, with al
absence Of flies and mosquitoes. ''Ther
was not single case of sickness" h
said, during the encampmnet, and tn
| health Of the officers and men was bet
| ter than we have ever had on any pre-
| yious encampment."