Evening star., 1915-02-21

IL TALON Of the National Guard of
the District of Columbia. to in
crease the enlisted strength OF the Or
.eaniza,ion. In the near future several
caunaipns TO encourage enlistment are
TO be started, it is declared, and these
probably will close by April !, as 1t IS
expected that the Navy department.
will issue instructions that no menDer
of the naval militia will be permitteo
10 make cruises on battleships VINO mas
not had at least three months prelini-
nary instruction in the organization
ashore.
While the number of men VINO nave
been enlisting in the organization Is
increasing. Commander Dempf is not
vet satisfied with its strength He
wants the 400 men allowed by law, and
lie declared that he was going TO DO
everything in his power 10 reach 'he
number by April l.
That interest in the naval work is
increasing in the past few weeks is
evidenced by the increase in the num-
her of men enlisting. SO fast are the
men now coming in that the meolcai
.iepartment of the organization, heao-
ID by Lieut.. +. H. Morhart, surgeon,
md assisted bv DR.. a. p Tibbetts and
T. s O'Connor, are kept busy every
Thursday night during the two-hour
drill period making physical examina-
tions of all of the recruits
In view of the stand taken by the
Naval Militia Association of the Unit.
ed States in the course of its annual
convention here during the past "eeh
that the Navy Department shouid out
line the annual cruises OF naSai niii.r daI-s
organizations before thirty more Gays
had passed, IT is probable that an
nouncement soon will be forthcoming
of the place to which the local haVa.
militia will cruise next summer. "A,
me same time probably the dates Will
he fixed.
In his annual report of the cruise
aboard the Rhode Island in 1914, Com
mander Dempf made the formal re
quest that the naval militia OK tne
district of Columbia be permitted TO
cruise aboard one of the ships to Ha.
vana, Cuba, this year The appetite oi
the local militiamen for cruises 10
foreign ports was whetted someWha'
NV -be exnerfences of the local militia
men when they went to Bermuda last
wear
Commander Dempf also is anxious
that the dates for the cruises pc nxse ss,
members of his organization are IN
civil employ. and it is necessary 1or
them to make arrangements lot tnelr
leave weeks ahead If there Is delay
in making the announcement of the
dates as there was last year, 1t VIII
have bad effect on the strerGth
taken aboard battleships for practice
work. for the reason that many men
cannot get away on short notice.
The basket ball team of the District
naval militia has been very successful
during this. it's first season, having
which 1t has played. The interest of
the men in the sports has also served
to attract young men TO the orgahlza-
ton, where every Thursday foiiowing
|ril1 fo1 "a a
is turned over to the men for athletic
purposes.
The annual inspection of the local
naval militia by the inspector-instruc-
tor of the United States Navy assigned
to that organization is to take place
April 1, at the same time of the an
nual inspection by MAI Harry Coope'
inspector general. n. G. D. c.
There is much activity being dis
played by the officers and men in pre-
pairing for this event. The officers are
busy preparing their muster rolls.
equipment and cleaning and marking
their clothing.
officers and men of the local naval
the u s s. Sylvia. training ship as
signed to the organization. to the Nor
folk navy yard, which began February
IS. are enthusiastic over the voyage
and declared that they received much
practical experience 1t was the long
est voyage ever made on the Sylvia by
The local naval militiamen.
on the first leg of the voyage the
vessel was anchored at Cornfie1d Har-
bor. and early last Sunday morning
started the trip down the bay. reaching
the Norfolk navy yard at 4 O'Clock
sunday afternoon. The voyage was
successful in every way
During the trip the officers and men
stood regular watches just the same as
If they had been aboard a cruising ship
of the navy. There were also many
routine drills. such as fire drill, gun
drills. signal drills etc.