Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-19
A GUARD ARMORY
Need of the Local Militia in
This Respect.
HOPE IN CONGRESS
BELIEF THAT APPROPRIATION
CAN BE SECURED.
Location Should Be Central and the
Building Large Enough for a
Battalion Drill.

baLLal1On Drill.
1t Is perhaps within the range of not dis
tant realization that Washington will have
an armory for the use Of the District Ma
tional Guard worthy of the Importance of
the seat of government and Of the fine regi-
ment Of men who compose our home SOL
diers.
That the District militia has been handi-
capped for lack Of suitable quarters has
long been matter of local comment and
regret. Congress, however, has not deemed
1t expedent to give the citizens of Wash
ington encouragement to this end until re-
Gently. In fact the National Guard one
Of the very first to volunteer and go to the
front in the Spanish war, seems to have
been overlooked as regards permanent
and substantial home in time Of peace in
the flood of demands upon Congress from
other and perhaps more pressing sources
A ray of light is discernible in the clouds
Of deferred hope as each session passed
without the granting Of an appropriation
for an adequate home for the District mill
tia Chairman Mercer of the House COM
mittee on public buildings and grounds
than whom the District has never had a
better and more constant friend In the
south end of the Capitol. is understood to
appreciate the situation and hopes, 1t is be-
lieved, to bring the desires Of our citizens
to an ultimate successful issue in persuad-
ing Congress to have reported an appro-
pration In sufficient sum for an armory
for the guard which will be In keeping with
the rest Of the public buildings Of the
capital.
Lively Appreciation of Citizens.
Chairman Mercer may rest assured that
any efforts toward such an admirable and
much desired end will have the hearty CO.
operation of all of the citizens Of Washing
ton, to say nothing of the enthusiastic
members Of the guard itself. Mr.. Mercer
is broad-minded gentleman, who believes
that washington. as the nations capital.
buildings, and has cordially expressed his
views through The Star. If the District
National Guard may be suitably housed
in line with the armores maintIined by the
local military organizatio of other large
cities the result will prove public benefit
and the building will serve as monument
ever enduring to all gentlemen in both
branches of Congress who may be enlisted
in the cause.
Washington is proud of the District mill
tia. In inaugural and other ceremonial pro-
cessons none of the visiting troops appear
to better advantage and the parade of the
guard up Pennsylvania avenue is the signal
for a burst of spontaneous and continuous
applause and hearty greeting. 1t numbers
about 1,50O men, and the naval reserve.
which small but useful body of local
jackies is attached to the guard, musters
about 140. The quarters occupied by the
outgrown and command rental of $4,000
a year. the interest on sum large enough
to give it a fine armory Of it's own.
The arms and equipment are furnished
under authority of the War Department.
The guard is armed with the new regula-
ton army Krag rife. The organization is
wholly federal in its control, the commls-
sions of it's officers being signed by the
President the Secretary Of War, the adju-
tant general, SO far as the land forces are
concerned, and by the President and the
dc ttA nff9-
GERS of the Naval Battalion. Privates In
the guard are paid s162O year, while
guardsmen who are employees of the gov
eminent do not receive money cornpen.
from the departments with their own full
pay in addition to their annual leave.
A Prominent officers Views.
A well-known officer Of the National
Guard who takes a great interest in it's
welfare In discussing the need in Wash
ington Of suitable armory for the city
said:
1.-The District should have an armory on
par with those to be seen in the city of
New York, where the building Of these
structures has been reduced to a science,
and where the utmost liberality Is shown
the National Guard in all respects.
Its armories occupy sites IN some of the
best uptown sections, where property is
very high. the new home of the 22d Regi-
ment being an excellent example of the
metropolis, the building and land costing
over $3.50, 600. The armory fer this crack
New York regiment, and those occupied by
all other regiments in New York and Brook
lyn were built by the respective cities, ex-
cept the armories of the 23d and 47th Regi-
ments in Brooklyn. The armories Of these
latter two regiments, and that Of the 74th
COUNTIES approximately 100000 each
Il cite these instances to show how lib
eral the people of the empire state are to-
ward their national guardsmen, as in most
of the states different rules obtain. The
guard gets what it wishes in New York,
and we all hope in Washington that Con-
gress, in considering the important matter
Of housing the militia of the District, will
give this fact the weight it deserves.
IF New York will spend half a million of
dollars upon a number of buildings re-
spectively, for shelter Of it's National Guard,
surely Congress ought to be willing to give
to the people of the District a building
which will not cost less than $250,OOO. We
should have at least 200 feet of floor space
each way; the drill hall should be SQUARE
and a good battalion drill cannot be had
| unless the drilling space be square.
The Site to Be Centrally Located.
1.-The experience of the National Guard of
the District in drilling in Convention Hall
proved one thing conclusively, IL 1t did
nothing else, and that Is that the guard
cannot be kept together unless it's armory
be centrally located. If Congress will stick
the proposed aIInOTy way OH IN some such
remote section of the city the guard will
| ultimately suffer, as the men will not travel
to remote place to drill.
Zone reason why the guard holds SO well
| together now Is that, despite its cramped
quarters, they are at a point in the city
| which may be reached easily and quickly by
| the members, and after hard night at
| drilling the fact that all Of the different
car lines in the city within a minutes
| walk from its doors is appreciated by the
men.