Evening star., 1915-02-07


~ the Naval Battalion of the Ma
tionaI Guard of the District of
Columbia, to the Norfolk navy yard
The cruise Is scheduled to begin Satur-
day morning at o'clock, when the yes
sci will leave her dock adjoining the
battalion's armory at Water and o
streets southwest.
Last Thursday night the crew Of men
who will make the voyage was picked
from the battalion's personnel Only
twenty men from nearly three hundred
are to go, and the division officers had
their difficulties in picking the crew.
The men with the highest efficiency
records for attendance and drills were
selected. The Navy Department has
allowed Commander Joseph A. Dempf
commanding the battalion, to designate
three line officers besides himself to
make the voyage.
Owing to the size of the vessel and
the necessity that she cruise only with
the smallest number of line officers
possible. the Navy Department laid
down an emphatic rule that no staff
officer of the battalion should make the
voyage.
There will be busy scenes about the
dock of the battalion Friday as the pro-
visions begin to arrive and the little
vessel is loaded with supplies for the
three-day voyage down the Potomac
and Chesapeake bay. The station bill
and the drill routine, which will be
carried out during the cruise have been
prepared under the direction of Com
| mander Dempf and Lieut.. Sigourney,
executive officer. Aside from the stor-
GO 0f yicfn inc IN hA
done in connection with this voyage.
In order to have no delay and con-
fusion early Saturday morning, Com
mander Dempf last Thursday issued
men who are to make the voyage tnat
they must be aboard not later than
midnight Friday night. Any man vio-
lating this order will be prohibited
from making the voyage, it Is declared.
AS soon as each man comes aboard
Friday night he will be given his sta
tion billet showing his place aboard
the vessel and his duties during the
voyage. Hammocks will be served out.
and the men will be allowed to sleep
until 4 o'clock, when they will answer
reveille and make preparations for get
ting under way.
So far as the cruising plans have de-
veloped, Commander Dempf proposes
to steam all day Saturday until Corn
field harbor. at the mouth Of the Poto-
mac river, is reached. He proposes to
anchor ship there. until o'clock Sun
day morning, when the anchor will be
! weighed and the long voyage down the
bay started. 1t is proposed then to
keep on steaming until the Norfolk
yard Is reached, which probably will
be early Monday. morning. 1t probably
Will mean steaming all night next Sun
day.
The enlistment campaign recently in
! augurated by Commander Joseph A
Dempf is showing progress. great
number of recruits present themselves
for enlistment every Thursday night,
but it is also necessary to turn great
many down as undesirable for the Or
ganization. Before man can now en-
list in the battalion it is necessary for
him to get the approval of one Of the
four division officers.
Commander Dempf recently issued an
order requiring division officers to in
vestigate the character of all men who
present themselves for enlistment.
Quartermaster first class) L. B. Mil
Ter was in command of the I'd Division
last Thursday night during the alb
sence of the division commander. Mil
school conducted during the first period
of drill, giving the men instruction in
salutes and customs in the naval serv-
ice.
an address to the officers and men of
the battalion, following drill last
Thursday night. declared that here
after all petty officers will be appoint
ed Temporarily for six months. during
which time their conduct and attention
to duty will be observed. At the end
of the period if found worthy of a
permanent appointment they will re-
cefve it. Otherwise they will be dis
rated.
1t has been found. declared Com
mander Dempf. that when men get per-
manent appointments the first thing
they think is that their work in the
battalion is over. Such is not the case
pointment a petty officer it means
that he has just begun to work He
should show an example to the men
under him by being attentive to drill
and a leader in all the naval work of
the particular branch of the service in
which he has been rated.
No more shirking will be permitted
on the part of petty officers. asserted
the commanding officer, and even those
men who now hold permanent appoint
ments will be taken under considera-
tion for disratins should they be in
efficient and inattentive to drills.
Commander Dempf has issued orders
to those men who are to make the
cruise aboard the Sylvia to Norfolk
that they must report to the armory at
IS O'Clock next Friday night and OBJ
tain their hammocks, peacoats and oil
skins No man who is not there to oh
tain equipment which would allow him
to face all kinds of weather on deck
will be permitted to go.
x !;
Seaman Apprentices Perry W Mich
aels, first division. and Emmett l..
Poland. third division. have been or
dered honorably discharged on their
own application.
Lectures on Diets for Pupils.