Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04
District National Guard

With the arrival of the new year, the
National Guard of the District of Co.
lumbia found itself without a Regular
Army officer assigned here as adjutant
general Lieut. Col. Frederick H. Smith
was ordered relieved by the War De-
partment and went to Fort Monroe,
Va, to take a special refresher course
for general and field officers at the
Coast Artillery School there. This, it
Is understood, will take about three
months, and following its completion he
will proceed tQFort Mcclellan, at An
nistan, Ala, to assume command of a
Coast Artillery regiment. Incidentally,
it was said that this is the post at which
the goth Division troops, of which the
local Guard was part, trained for their
service in the World War.
Pending the assignment by the War
Department of another officer here,
Lieut.. Col Peyton G. hewitt, assistant
adiutant general, will carry on the af-
fairs of the Office. 1t was said that no
indication has been received here of the
selection of the new adjutant general.
Maj. Gen. Anton Stephan, command
ing the local Militia brigade, and other
officers of the local Guard last week
rendered Col Smith dinner at the
Roosevelt Hotel. The following Regular
Army officers also were guests of the
Militia officers: Mai. Gen. John w.
Gulick, chief of Coast Artillery; Maj
Frank c. Scofield. instructor, 26Oth
Coast Artillery, and First Lieut.. John
C. Wade, instructor of the 121st Engi-
neers. Col. Elliott, also assigned to the
local Guard as instructor, was out Of
town.
Oficers Iauded the service Of Col.
Smith with the local Guard, and the
latter was presented with a fitted tray
cling bag on behalf of the officers.
Maj. walter w. Burns, commanding
the 260th Coast Artillery has filed an
application for permission to attend the
anti-aircraft course at the Coast Artil-
lery School at Fort Monroe, va, for a
period Of eight weeks, beginning to-
morrow.
Preparations are being made in the
i21st Engineer Regiment for the estab-
hshment of a school Of 1ithogTaphy as
part of the instruction system of the
local Militia. The school will be under
the direction of First Lieut.. T. A. Riley
and First Lieut.. Thomas j. Fitzgerald.
All drills of organize lions of the local
Guard were suspended last week, it was
announced at brigade headquarters.
Praising the work Of the members of
his unit during the year just closed,
Capt. Clarence S. Shields, commanding
Company E, 121st Engineers, sent let
ter to each member Of his command, in
which he summed up the units accom-
pIshments, as follows:
Company E gas the only company in
the regiment to have 100 per cent of its
personnel present at the annual Federal
inspection in 1890.
Tt won the field meet at camp-in
fact, 1t has never lost meet.
1t qualified more men with rifle than
any other company in the local Guard
Its ordnance inspection report was
rated excellent"
OF the entire District National Guard.
through the fine shooting ability of
Lieut.. William r. Lane, Sergt. Harry B.
Parsons, Sergt. Henry M Boudinot,
Pvts. (Ffrst Glass; Milton Kurland, Gil
bert L. johnson and Edward A. Fin
layson.
IT'S basket ball team is making great
strides, captained by Sergt. Walter w.
Keyser.
It's automatic rifle team, composed of
First Sergt. William d. Putnam and
staff Sergt. Baxter Smith, won the
championship auto rifle match.
Its pistol team also came out on top,
through the efforts of Shields, Parsons
and Andrus.
LET US not only maintain our envi-
able reputation" says the letter, but
strive for greater accomplishments dur
ing the coming year.
Let us resolve to attend more drills
and to urge others to attend, and to
bring in Immediately recruits who can
attend drills, so that our attendance re-
port for 1881 may be listed as an ac-
complishment."
Efficiency reports for all officers of
the Guard are to be in the adjutant
generals Office before January is. The
reports cover the calendar year. All
commissioned officers who have not
been examined physically for appoint
ment or promotion during the last
calendar year have been directed to
report to the medical officer of the
Guard for such examination. Reports
on these examinations also must be in
by January IS.
First Lieut.. Willard L. Hammer. Head
quarters Detachment, goth Division Spe-
cial Troops, has been ordered trans
ferred to the unassigned list, pending
acceptance OF his resignation.
The following have been ordered
transferred from the active to the re-
serve lists Of their respective commands,
for the reasons given:
Temporary removal from the Dis
trict: PVtS. Zillard H. White, and Mar
tin l.. Bray. Jr., both Of Battery B, 2eOth
Coast Artillery, and John c. Harvey,
29th Division Military Police Company.
Business interference with the per-
Torrance of military duty: Pvts. Edward