Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-08


are held this year it will
again bring to the mind of the inspecting
officers, as well as the visitors who are
present, the urgent need Of better facili-
ties which would enable the local guards
men to get better training The Dyer bill
providing for an armory for the local Ma
tional Guard is now before the House
committee on public buildings and
grounds. of which Representative CiarA
of Florida is chairman.
| Col. William E. Harvey. commanding
the I'd Regiment of Infantry of the Dis
| trict Guard. is working hard to have the
provision made for the armory at this
session of Congress. A hearing on the Dill
will be held in the committee room, NO
277. House office building, Wednesday
at 10 O'Clock in the morning. Representa-
| ave Dyer Of Missouri. who served in the
| 1st District of Columbia Infantry. United
States Volunteers. war with Spain. draft
ed the bill and will argue its needs be-
| fore the committee. Col. Harvey will
also present the brigade's side OF the
case as will other members of the Ma
tional Guard of the District of Columbia
It is also probable that business men
representing local commercial organlza-
lions will speak in favor of the PROPOSE
ton.
Even if provision is made for the arm
DRY at this session of Congress and the
| work is started Immediately, 1t Is argued
| 1t will require at the very least nve years
before any part of the guard can move
| into the new building. 1t just means five
years more of the dilapidafed quarters
| before the guard can expect anything
| better. The plans. however, have been
drawn for a long time, and when the bill
becomes a law there will be little to do
but to start right in. There will be no
delay in the actual work on account OF
| waiting for plans.
| the local organizations are looking
| around for facilities which are better
] than those they have. Two organizat: ons
are trying to put through deals to have
local people construct armor1es on lease
| for term of years. One scheme has
been approved by Gen. Harries 1t Is
| for the construction of an armory in the
southeast section of the city, in the ylcin-
| ity of the Eastern High School. The con-
tract, however. has not been closed and
| the officers who are engineering the
proposition preferred that the details
should not be given publicity at this
| time.
Another proposition for the construc-
| ton of an armory is on foot This. how
ever, is wholly in the tentative state. al
| though the National Guard officers who
| are looking after it express confidence
| that it will soon be reality. This
| armory Will PROVIDE nome loI l"o NJ
| dependent organizations. 1t will be To-
! Gated in the vicinity of 9th and N streets
! northwest
These armories, it is pointed out, If
| they become a reality, will provide q
place for the guardsmen to congregate
on any night during the week. where
they will have club facilities, and
| where they can hold dances and other
social functions, which, it is claimed.
would serve to increase the interest OF
/
| The officers who have been Work1ng Tor
! these armories discovered that little
could be done in the way of recruiting II
| no better facilities were provided HaV-
| ing the success of their organizations
| wholly at heart, they set about to get
better armory accommodations. and 1t IS
| believed that several new armorles VIII
be constructed by private capital in the
near future, which will serve the Ma
! tional Guard to good purpose until Con-
| gress provides the larger building where
| all of the commands. together with the
| brigade headquarters, will be housed I'M
der one roof
/ Company X, I'd Infantry, which for
long time has been cramped, IS maklng
great Roadway in fixing up its new and
/ larger quarters on the first floor OF the
Boys building of the Y. NJ. c. A. Plans
| are being outlined for a houseWarmlns
| to be given by the company when these
| new quarters are ready for occupancy.
| A Mace where it could hold its socta!
| functions has always been one OF the al
yantages which this command has lack
ed. and the members promise that they
will make the best of the new quarters
| In an effort to convince members OF
Congress of the urgent need Of providing
for the construction of an armory 10!
the National Guard of the District OF
Columbia, several members Of Congress
| Will be taken on a tour of inspection OF
the buildings now occupied by the Ma
| tiopal C,uard organiZati tons for armory
purposes This congressional delegation
| probably will make its inspection either
| tomorrow or Tuesday. Col William E.
| Harvey, commanding the I'd Regiment of