Evening star., 1923-08-26

ARMY

ybnQ tne expectations OF the W ar be-
partment authorities, out of the vo
luminous reports which will be filed
On the National Guard. r. 0. L. c..
and c. NJ T. camps there will be two
! outstanding criticisms which. IL the
, camps are to progress next year,
should be adopted in the administra-
tien of the 1924 camps. Annual re-
ports Of Gen. Pershing. the Secretary
Of War and the. chiefs of branches
viii officially feSJnmend the efforts Of
both the professional and citizen SOL
no doubt be devoted to the great
shortage rf. regular officers and en-
listed mea and the lack OF training
equiDm6H
The !, o criticisms are: More reg
ulRrs must be available for instruc-
tors; citizen soldiers must maintain
their own camps. which includes the
administrative duties as well
Though a number of res .rve officers
were employed during the summer
camps for both administrative as well
as instructive purposes. there was a
! serious shortage in this respect.
Added to this the great shortage in
the enlisted personnel OF tie regular
! organizations placed limitation OIL
the training activities, AMI in soH2
places made 1t Impossible to Stage
demonstrations for instruction ~ pur
poses.
The opinion has been expressed by
n number Of the observers who WIS.,
tied the camps that the camp COM
! lnanders should be more economical
In the employment of the regular en-
! listed personnel On duty at the camps.
II Is stated that in great many in
stances members Of the regular es-
| tsblishment erected the tents and
a6
that when the citizen soldiers ar
| rived IN camp everything was ready
for them. In certain quarters IL Is
maintained that this duty and the
cuty Of breaking camp. policing their
own quarters. etc. Is a soldiers duty
as we'll as drill. and that IL the young
men were instructed in this work
they would evince greater interest in
| their camps. The assignment Of
regular nOn-coTn to a tent, II has been
, suggested, would make II possible fer
the citizen soldiers to prepare their
own camp. as under the formers di-
rection tents could be erected and the
other duties of the soldier could be
| impaired to them.
At the invitation OF Brig. Gen
Bird W. Spencer. treasurer Of the
New Jersey State Rife Associat ton.
| the infantry rife team. which Is
| now in training for the national
az 10 Fss s6d Sasssa r. n
pate In the thirtieth annual Sea-
girt interstate rife tournament;
which will be held at Seagirt. y. J..
beginninE August p and Concluding
cludes over hfty special matches in
which both National Guard and reg
ulars Will be contestants
, As was the case last year, lack Of
funds prevented the War Depart
ment from sending service teams to
this shoot. Twenty-one members OF
the infantry rife team, however.
bearing their own expenses. left Fort
| Niagara on August 24 VIA motor for
seag!rt. which they expect to reach
| approval Of the War Department. and
| was done last year. New York.
! Pennsylvanis. New Jersey. Massachu-
| send either full teams or individuals
! TO the matches. and II Is believed that
the Marine Corps will have num-
Der OF entries.
The Secretary OF War has granted
! authority for the holding OF a re-
fresher course for field officers and
general officers at the Infantry
school, which will begin instruction n
October 8 and conclude December 15
Twelve infantry colonies are expect
! ed to attend the course. and IL is be-
lieved that few general officers may
oe included IN the class.
Other classes which are on the
school roster at the Benning In
j stitutfon are The assembling OF the
advance ctaSs on September Is and
| the company officers class will start
trsshef Course Se Is oc'ooer OBJ III,
to begin instruction October s. while
the, National Gnard and reserve Of
fcers' class will not start until Feb
ruary Is, 1924: It & beneved that
me de.sii OF regular offieers to the
Guard which takes a considerabie
number. will cause the classes at the
approa ching Infantry School courses
70 be below those Of last year. Last
year there were eighty-four student
officers who were given instruction
. il: the National Guard and reserve
clasa. but the attendance for thi.
course. which starts February 2j. is
estimated to be about lis.
/ Two Important subjects We're
brought up for discussion in the con-
ference between Gen. Gordon. COM
mandant Of the Infantry School. and
chief of infantry, while the former
was in Washington recently. One
is the supply of tailor made serge
uniforms for the regular troops sta
toned at the Infantry School while
quarters for the enlisted personnel
at the Benning post
Gen. Gordon expressed the belief
that the woolen melton cloth, which
Is now worn by his command. is de-
that section Of the country. and he is
! hopeful that the War Department
; will approve the supply Of the serge
material. which will not only enable
his command TO present smarter
appearance but will be more COM
fnrfahIa
Gen. Gordon evinced great interest
in plans for the construction of per
| mament quarters for the housing Of
the enlisted personnel. Extensive ef-
forts VIII be made to include in the
budget estimates at least an appro-
priation for the construction Of a few
buildings. There are approximately
$500 men now being housed in tent
age shelter. The housing question at
Fort Benning has been a source of
School was established. and it is
hoped that Congress will see the
urgent need of this construction and
appropriate accordingly.
At the invitation of Maj. Gen.
| George c. Richards. chief OF the
militia bureau, Col. George Vidmer.
acting chief of cavalry. made an In
spection trip Of cavalry organiza-
| tions Of the New York. Pennsylvania.
"e. Scs oiio anu ha assdcE use us
National Guard. from which he has
Just returned TO Washington.
Five Army officers have been des-
ignated to compete in the 1923 endur-
arcc ride, which will be held In and
about Avon, Livingston county. \. V,
beginning on October Is and conclud-
| ing October 20. The total distance
will be approximately 500 miles. to
be covered At the rate Of about sixty
miles per day for hve consecutive
days. regardless OF the weather.