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Show SERGEANTS DELINQUENT Convivial Habits and Carelessness Causing Army Concern Washington Feb 5 Convivial habits and carelessness m the discharge dis-charge of their duties of the part of some of th regular army sergeants detailed for the instruction 01 the militia, are giving the war department officials much concern Out of good nature, or generosity, the responsible responsi-ble officers of the state militia generally gen-erally fail to report these shortcomings shortcom-ings or when discovered bv reg.ilar army officers, fall to aid in the pun-ishment pun-ishment of the offenders bv court martial. This state of affairs has caused Brigadier General .Vllert L. Mills, chief of the militia division, to Issue Is-sue 0 special appeal to state militia officers through their adjutants general gen-eral that immediate report be made where those sergeant instructors have been delinquent in their duties General Mills pays B high compliment compli-ment to the instructors as a class bul a.Imlts that occasionally there are weak or even vicious characters who should be replaced. The tendency on the part of the militarj authorities to hold the militia mil-itia of the states to a stricter observance ob-servance of the practices and regulations regula-tions of army life is becoming yearlv more marked, One manifestation of this is a decision of the war department depart-ment regarding the eligibility of the organize, 1 militia to participate in national military competitions It is held that to he eligible the milttla men must be able to show r, per cent 6l attendance, both ni garrison and fiHd Instruction; must have served twelve months continuously preceding preced-ing the competition and must have performed at least IT, per cent of the prescribed duty in camp, maneuvers, field exercises or schools. |