The Washington times., 1918-01-12
COL. S|MMS
IS URGED AS
COMMANDER
OF GUARDS
By BILL PRICE.

Col. Richard Douglas Simms, for
many years a major in the District
national guard, retired by the War
Department, has been recommended to
The department by joint committees
of the three trade bodies OF WASH
iugton for nomination as brigadier
general of national guard of the Dis
trict, in the belief that this will bring
about the early organization OF a new
national guard here.
And interviewer with this is the ef-
forts of the Treasury Department to
obtain possession of the present ma
tional guard quarters at 472 L street
northwest, as offices for the income
tax division of the Internal Revenue
Bureau.
The Chamber OF Commerce, the
Board OF Trade, the Retail Merchants
Association, which recommended Col
onel Simms' selection to the War De-
partment, the Treasury Department,
the District Commissioners, Major
John A. Dapray, L. S. A, acting ad-
jutant general of the national guard,
and dozens of others are mixed in the
warmest contest staged around these
parts in a long time.
New Guard DWindles.
Major Dapray has been making eff
forts to organize another national
guard in the District for some time,
but has not met with the success that
he expected. Should Colonel SinmB'
be made brigadier general, he would
be in supreme command, supceding
in authority Major Dapray, or any
body else except high authorities of
the War Department.
The present armory at 472 L street
is rented by the District government
from appropriations made by Con-
gress. The rental paid for the build
ing is $4,000 per year. The District
heats the building, and 1t is now
costing the District government, 1t is
stated on authority, about $1,000 a
month. Major DaPray and few as
sistants are the only occupants OF
the building, It is stated.
The Treasury Department recently
rented the convention hall on X, L,
and Fifth streets as office quarters
for the internal revenue bureau. The
District armory building is connected
with Convention Hall by a bridge,
which may soon become the bridge
of signs" of Washington, in view OF
present events.
TFc0sury Neeus Room.
Treasury officials state that they
need the L street building badly, until
the new building for the Internal
Revenue Bureau is erected opposite
the Treasury on Pennsylvania avenue.
They want TO suitcase the building
from the District, this leasS!expiring
July 1, next, although the District
has an option to continue the lease.
Thinking it possible that the District
might not desire the lease after July
the Treasury has obtained an option
beginning July !, at $4,000 a year,
conditional. OF course.
I Treasury officials have represented
TO District officials that there is no
District National Guard in sight at
khis time; that military men do not
think it likely one can be organized
3n view OF the eligibility OF all young
men to draft hereafter; that IL the
Government cannot get the building
IT will have to go to remote parts of
the city and have its affairs serious
h interfered with.
District officials appear TO be in
sympathy with the Treasury position,
pointing out that the District has pos
session of the old Arsenal in the
southwest and that this would serve
FOR a long time as quarters for a
newly organized guard. unless one