Evening star., 1923-11-28
BY c. IL. McCULLAR.


gard her National Gaurd troops, is
hopeful of soon having a home-and
one of which to be proud. They
vision a structure to which they Will
not be ashamed to invite their
friends when military or social at
fairs are being held, a building that
will compare favorably with any
National Guard armory in any OF the
states. The aid and cooperation be-
ing extended by the various civic. pa
triotic and military organizations or
the city add to the hope of securing
desired results.
The national defense act of 1870
provided that the National Guard of
the United States should be one OF
the three component elements OF the
Army of the United States, the others
being the Regular Army and the Or
ganiZed Reserves. With the idea IN
view of making the local guard
well equipped and trained lighting
force, available on short notice in
time of emergency. Maj. Gen. stephan.
commanding, has been endeaVoring
TO recruit it to the maximum strength
authorized by the War Department..
He has met with no little success. 70"
tomorrow night another company
will be mustered in here as Company
+. 121st Engineers. the first complete
regiment of troops here since the
war.
Guard Showing Growth.
The guard is nearly twice as larG"
numerically as one year ago. but
with the rapid progress that has been
made it has not been nearly 50 great
as It would have been had there been
adequate armory facilities. OF all
the handicapS under which the men
responsible for the guards present
development have worked. that OF
lack OF armory facilities has been
the greatest. The present armory
now used being rented quarters is
regarded as totally Inadequate.
The need OF a properly equipped
armory for the District troops IS
urgent and if the guard is to expand
as Congress expected it to do when
the defense act was enacted some
thing must be done at once toward
securing better housing and training
facilities.
The law provides that the National
Guard of the country shall be main
tanned by the various states as an
efficient fighting force Immediately
available for federal service, ana the
War Department plans call for the
guard being used as first line troops
when called into active service inc
states are required to provide ana
maintain suitable armories. drill ana
storage facilities to take care or or :
SaniZdIlOliS
Of 500 enlisted men per each senaIor
and representative in Congress Ine
District of Columbia is allotted 2,4oo
enlisted men.
Denied Federal Reorganization.
Troops allotted to the District and
organized in accordance with reguIa ,
tfons have been denied federal
recognition because suitable armory
facilities are not available. The most
striking illustration of this is that IN
the winter of 1921 three batteries OF
field artillery were organized ana
trained for several months in eXpecta- :
ton of being mustered in as National
Guard troops. but the War Depart
ment, being unable to properly mouse
them, refused to extend recoghlll"ii'
and thus the opportunity for an ad-
ditional organization as large or
larger than the present reglnehI u
engineers was denied. 50, tne DIS
-rict is not able to comply with liie
law while the states are forced 10
provide suitable facilities. The abso-
lutte need of proper armory taclllties
has been urged upon the states Dy
the War Department as one OF tne
most essential factors in the deNelop-
ment of state troops, ,..,s,, o,;oe
Mai. Gen. George c. Richards, cnle1
Of the militia bureau. when mas
charge of National Guard atfalrs' at
a very recent appearance before a
committee of general stan ohlcerS.
suggested the extension of federal
aid to the states to secure the CON
struction of new armorleS 10 take
care of the increasing strength OF the
National Guard. The District National
GIiard has not only been held back
recently on account of lack of facll-
tiles, but it has been handicapped Tor
the past twenty-five years. IT cannot
be made a model organization until
The present arrangements are rem
edied.
Serves as Training school.
The local National Guard has served
as training school for many thou
yands of men. There were many ef-
ticient officers and men in the Span
ish-American war. on Mexican border
duty, and in the world war who OBJ
tained their training here. There are
officers in every branch of he Army.
Marine Corps and Navy today who
began their careers in the local or
ganization and are proof of its ef-
ficienCy.
The allotted strength of the District
National Guard. totaling III officers
and 2.371 enlisted men, Will be dis
tributed as follows if proper armory
facilities can be obtained, ror there
seems to be no question th1t recruit
ing will be easy under favorable con-
ditions: One infantry division, head
quarters company; one infantry d.
vision. headquarters detachment; one
combat engineer regiment; one Spe-
cia1 division troops. headquarters: one
military police company; one motor
cyele company; one ordnance m3tnte-
nance company: one coast artillery
regiment Give batterieS) one infan-
try battalion tcolored, and one Quar-
termaster Corps division train.
OF the above only the engineer regi-
ment and a company of colored in
fantry have been organized. a mill
tary police company is in process of
organiZatio 1t will be under the
command of Lieut. Raymond Peake.
hn nj trola aTt
has not been recruited is because the
men and equipment could not be prop
erly housed if they were recruited to
full strength.
proud Of the war record of the Local
guardsmen. The First District OF
Columbia Infantry, u. s. Volunteers
was furnished by the District Guard
calling the entire National Guar6
brigade into active service had beer
countermanded. This regiment ac
lively participated in the Santiago
render of Santiago. The entire guar'
served on the Mexican border dur
ing 1916-1911. being mobilized a
Fort Myer. For service in the Arm.
during the world war the Distric
guard furnished 10S officers ant
2.216 enlisted men. OF those mus
tered. a total of 10 officers and 6
enlisted men lost their lives, 8 off
GERS and 80 enlisted men being kille'
in action or dying of wounds. Ap
proximately 600 former members o
the District National Guard receives
commissions during the war; NOR
than % officers who entered serv
ice as national guardsmen at tn
outbreak of the world war have bee
commis missioned in the regular Army
1 One man is sent for the guard eacl
year to West Point Military Academ
as a cadet.
what Guard Means to Business Mel