Evening star., 1915-02-28

1
several matters relating to the National
Guard of the District Of Columbia which
are pending and which require his per-
sonal attention. A telegram from the gen.
eral received at brigade headquarters In
i The Star building contained the informa-
tion that he would start east within a
| week.
| The most important matter which will
require the generals attention while
here is the selection of an army officer as
adjutant general to succeed Lieut. Col.
Almon L. Parmerter, who has been or
dered to duty with troops on the Mexican
border AS soon as he arrives in the city
he probably will go to the War Depart
ment for conference with officials there
concerning the selection Of a new adju
| tant general.
Gen. Harries, while in the city, also
probably will set the date for the presen-
tation of the medals won by members of
the Army, Navy and local National Guard
at the target matches held at the Con-
gress Heights rifle range last fall. The
| medals to accompany the trophies have
| arrived and are in the possession of the
| quartermaster general of the local guard.
| Capt. Horace p. Hobbs, 18th Infantry,
now on the Mexican border, has been
! ordered to Washington as inspector-in-
structor. National Guard of the District
| of Columbia. He succeeds Lieut. George
A Lynch, United States Army. recently
| relieved. Capt. Hobbs is ordered to re-
port in Washington on or about March
/ 4. next.
| A plea for a new armory here was
! voiced nv Winfield JOnpS chairman, of
! the militia committee of the Washing
| ton Chamber of Commerce, in state
ment issued last night:
There is not city of the same size
as Washington in the United States
that does not have adequate housing
| facilities for its National Guard, he
said, and some cities much smaller
than Washington possesses magnifi-
! cent armories.
| The District National Guard is a
! first-ciass organization numbering ap-
| proximately 1000 men. but it is fear
/ fully Handicapped by lack of armory
cations are scattered all over Wash
! ing ION, all of them in BADLY lighted,
! poorly ventilated and cramped quar-
| ters The Center Market armory is
| totally Inadequate for the two regi-
ments which are housed there, the one
i and only drill hall not being large
| enough to maneuver properly even
| one battalion. while there are six bat
Il
| tiers. Company commanders actually
have supplies for their active COM
panies stored in rooms which aEe not
much larger than closets.
I The District Guard is now dis
! tributed in nine different buildings,
! and in only one of these buildings is
+, there any kind of drill hall. For
| these buildings the guard is paying
approxma'elhy s"oo oa1 annual aI,b rent m
ernmen! property stored in these build
!, ings which is uninsured. These build
ings are insecure from theft and many of
| them are not fireproof.
| For many years the guard has been
/ trying to get Congress to pass a bill to
build an arrnory, but this effort has been
= unsuccessful. and there is no prospects
! in the near future of obtaining any legiS-
lation from Congress for an armory.
1.-The problem is now to Gevise some
method of obtaining new and suitable
armory here without the assistance of
Congress, which up to date has been
| refused.
whether this can be done. basing the
investment on the $4,000 annual rental
now paid by the guard, remains to be
seen.
"Snce my appointment as chairman Ct
the militia committee of the Chamber Of
Commerce I have been endeavoring to
organize some movement to build an
armory, and several plans are now under
| way, which we hope will soon result In
something definite toward securing an
armory.
."rhe plans discussed concerning q
building for a great public auditorium
which some have proposed to also use as
an armory deserve encouragement. Such
a buid ng coulG be built here and would
serve double purpose. that Of provid-
ing place for great conventions and for
an armory.
X * X X
4 Company G. 1st Infanry. Capt T E.
Fawcett. commanding. gave smoker
in the company rooms at the Center
Market armory last Thursday night.
There were several entertainment fea-
lures, including several monolo gues,
Refreshments were served.
Il Capt. Fawcett delivered a brief ad-
dress to the company and urged the
men to be present at the annual In
ianecfion pointinR ont that IL WAS ah.