Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-30

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~7EAMS representing the Nation
al Guard of the District of
Columbia have been UNFOLD
ing the reputation Of the or
/ ganiaation as a producer OF
crack rifle shots during the rifle matches
which began at Seagirt, N. J.. last
week and which will continue for
couple Of weeks more. The District
shareholders have won a number of
the matches, and probably will bring
home a good part OF the prizes onerea-
+ + X
After ten days spent in the noun
tains in the vicinity of Tobyhanna. Pa,
the LIST Battery Field Artillery, N. G.
D. c., returned to Washington during
| the week. This encampment OF the
most successful in the history OF the
organization, which broke a record
when 1t took away no men, nearly
a war strength complement
The next annual convention of the
National Guard Association Of the
United States is to be held in Boston,
Mass, September IA, Is and 49, The
entire delegation to represent the Ma
tional Guard of the District of Column
bia has not been selected. but Lieut..
Col. A. L. Parmerter, U. S. Army. ad-
jutant general, District of Columbia
militia. has announced that Mai. c.
Fred Cook, adjutant generals depart
ment, N G. D. c., has been designated
to represent that department, and that
probably other staff officers will be
picked to form the delegation. Col
Parmerter explained that he would be
on vacation at the time the convention
is scheduled to be held, and therefore
would be unable to be present at the
convention sessions.
l IL
| In calling attention to the need of
publicity to interest not only the
young men, but the elders in the
National Guard, Adjt. Gen. Charles F:
Macklin of the National Guard of
Maryland, in his annual report, copy
of which has just been received at the
headquarters Of the National Guard Of
the District of Columbia, urges the
governor to exert every means at your
command to bring the citizens Of Mary
land to realize that the militia organi-
cations of Maryland are entitled to
their most enthusiastic support, but
that they cannot be expected to pro-
duce the results required of them If
| He complains of the inability to obtain
recruits, and blames 1t on the elders.
This is what he says of the educational
and publicity campaign which he has al
ready started:
1.-The field officers Of the Maryland Ma
tional Guard were assembled with view
to devising ways and means whereby
the general public, more especially the
attracted to the National Guard. AS re-
suit Of this meeting q publicity commit
tee was formed, charged with a general
dissemination of facts.
1.-THE initial step was taken at Camp
Phillips Lee Goldsborough in July last,
| when, by invitation Of this Office, COM
mittees visited the camp from the build
ers' exchange, chamber of commerce
and Merchants and Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION of Baltimore city. These gentle
men were given every opportunity to see
| the National Guard in camp-their mode
in life. their methods of meals. their
scheme of inctruction. tours Of military
| duties and had explained to them the
scope and character Of our citizen
soldiery. both in the status of troops and
| as auxiliary troops to the national gov
eminent.
from the expressions of commenda-
| ton and the lively interest shown by
the real object and necessity of a we'll
| trained militia was better understood
by them than before their visit. They
saw and appreciated real, live men. from
among themselves. earnest and Jealous
| In performance Of serious duties-and
| not the popularity fancied soldier.
During the fall. more. or less effort
along this line was continued, and it is
to the failure Of the young mon living In
Maryland to apply for service in the
Nauona! Guard, and to ask your co-opera-
| ton in bringing to the attention of citi-
port Of the militia organizations having
headquarters in and about Baltimore
My investigation discloses that the
indifferent attitude Of young men Is due
| realize and to bring up the young men
OF the community in the belief that
service in the National Guard is essen
TALLY public service, and involves the
discharge OF civic duty to the state
and nation second to none in dignity
and importancee.'
| He says further that Sound business
policy alone should impel the public to
see that the money, the time and the
efforts devoted to the training of a citi-
yea soldiery give the largest possible re-
| turn. Yet what can be accomplished If
the young men best qualified for serv-
Ice of arms not only are not encouraged
to go into the militia. but in most In
stances are actually discouraged by their
parents and others to whom their
training Is committed In a word, the
responsibility for this state of affairs
must not be placed with the young men
but with the elder citizens.
The view that has hitherto prevailed
| IN TINS state and everywhere among SELF
reliant nations that young man must
be prepared to make sacrifices for the
! 2
his life in defense of the state or nation
should be tenaciously held to and indoc-
trinated with the other primary virtues
| from infancy to manhood"
! * x X
| Young men who have served in the
| militia. he says, make better wofkmen,
| and Furthermore there has never been a
time. he continues, when young men
serving in 1t could acquire SO high a
degree of efficiency as at present, say
ing that it had come to his attention
that employers not only have dis
charged men who were in the militia,
but have refused to employ them.
This sort of thing" he points out,
strikes right at the root Of the militia
system. It may be impossible to cor
rect it by legislation. but every such
employer can be reached by an aroused
and indignant public opinion, which, after
all, is the. strongest sanction back Of
The commercial bodies of the District
already have gone on record as favor
ing tn National Guard, and have sup
ported, by resolution, the idea of giving
| time off for military service in addition
! to regular annual leave of the men.
|