Evening star., 1914-12-27


pended until after the ushering In of
the new year, the week just closed
has not been one of inactivity on the
part of the officers.
The lull in the drills has been seized
upon by the staff and division officers
to bring their work up to date, and to
perfect plans for increasing the efl-
cheney of the organization for the sec
ond half of the drill season, when oe-
gins with New Year and ends when
the organization makes its annual
cruise on board one Of the battleships
of the Atlantic fleet.
Commander Joseph \. Dempf. COM
manding the Naval Battalion. has held
several conferences during the week
with Lieut.. Frank w. Sigourney' ex-
ecutive officer of the organization, con-
corning the plans for drills during the
coming season In the slx-month
drill period before the annual cruise
there is much work to be done. Much
of this. for the present, it Is declared,
will be done in the armory. where Inc 1he
men will be taught seamanshlp. me
gun crews to fire the guns on the pal
tleships at target practice during the
course of the annual cruise Will oe
picked soon after the beginning or the
new wear and the work of training
them in loading and frlng the pls
guns, one of which is Installed IN the
Naval Battalion armory Tor prac..ce s
purposes, will be started. Every enort
will be made to make sure hits out OF
the gunpointers of the division, so
that the gunnery trophy ottered oy tiie
Navy Department to the naval ihilitia
organization with the best gunnery
racorI -Hil1 he brought to Washington
in 1915.
The urgent deficiency bill. which car.
ries an appropriation for the pay py,:.s ol
the enlisted men of the naval militia
of the District for their annual cruise
a hoard the Rhode Island last summer,
passed the House of Representatives.
last week. 1t now goes to the senate
for action.
The L. S s. Sylvia, training snip as
signed to the local naval militia, is under
orders to proceed to Norfolk on or anout
February Is for docking and repairs. Az
the same time the U. S. S. Sylpn. at the
Washington navy yard: the gunboat
Montgomery, assigned to Maryland naval
militia as training ship, and the entire
reserve torpedo division at Annapolis, corl,
sisting Of the Bailey, Barney, Bagiey ana
docking and repairs. 1t is not known now
long the Sylvia will be away from wash
ington, but as she is in need OF thor
ough overhauling it is probable that 1t
will take j month OF SO.
Commander Dempf declared that he
was anxious that the vessel should be
back at Washington in the early spring,
so that the regular cruises could be kept
up and the men raised to nigh state OF
efficiency by the time they leave Washing
ton to board one OF the ships of the bat
tleShip fleet.
Although Commander Dempf has not
yet heard officially of the orders for the
vessel under his command to proceed to
Norfolk, he is beginning to make up the
crew for the trip, which probably will
take about three days. The Sylvia's speed
is about ten knots an hour and 1t will
take approximately all of this time to
make the voyage When the vessel Is de-
livered at the dock yards the officers and
men will be returned aboard a merchant
vessel.
However, by the time the Sylvia returns
to her station here it is declared all of
naval militia will have been thoroughly
overhauled and in prime condition for
participation in boat drills in connection
with the operations of the Sylvia.
:: x X 4.
Lieut.. tjunior grade) Harrison f.
knauss, U. s. ~, commanding the U. S.
S. Sylph. used by officials for short trips
on the river, has been assigned to the
local naval militia as inspector instructor
Lieut.. knauss has reported to Commander
Dempf for duty, and has already estab-
lished school for the officers of the
Naval Battalion.
During the holiday season sessions have
been suspended along with the drills, but
right after the beginning of the new wear
Lieut.. knauss will start the instruction of
the naval militia officers to prepare them
for the examinations which all of them
order to serve aboard United States war
ships under pay.