Evening star., 1924-08-19
d. c. GUARDS SHY
FAT INSURANCE PLAN
Much Resentment Follows
Adoption of Group Plan
Requiring Men to Pay.
by 4 stan Correspondent.


FORT HUMPHREYS. Va..-August
l9.-While the troops of the 121st
regiment OF Engineers and 29th Mill
tary Police Company, National Guard
OF the District Of Columbia, in train
ing mere. were today preparing for
Held maneuvers. which are to begin
tomorrow. there broke out in camp
another battle more closely touching
the lives of the men.
There Is a general resentment be-
ing shown by these troops against
the efforts to insure them under the
group plan presented by one of the
large insurance companies. Oficers
ana men OF the regiment are not
taking kindly to the proposition
which was contracted for by Maj.
Gen. Anton Stephan. commanding the
District OF Columbia militia.
Agents Criticize Omcers.
The officers particularly resented the
report alleged to have been made to Col
John w. Oehmann, commanding the
regiment. that the company officers
were not selling" the proposition to
the members Of their respective COM
Inands.
A number of the officers who were
approached by the representative of
The Star pointed out that they are
down here for the serious business of
training for war and not to sell in
surance."
1t also was reported to Col. Och
mann that these agents came onto the
military reservation and today went
into the official records Of some of
the companies and even went so far
as TO reprlmand non-commissionedo Of
fcers for failing to help them obtain
certain records.
Pay Questton Involved.
The officers point out that in other
States where group insurance has
been taken for the National Guard
the State has assumed the premium
charge. In the case of the District of
Columbia troops, they individually
must pay the premiums Company
commanders and others after reading
the contract which is signed say il
would mean that they might have to
pay the premium should a man not
attend the requisite number of drills,
when he would have no pay coming to
him. and the premium could not be
deducted.
Early tomorrow morning the regi-
ment Will leave camp to work out a
war problem. one section to Beulah
Church to capture certain engineer
ing supplies and another battalion
proceeding to Accotink to theo-
retically cut the railroad line there
to prevent the movement Of an imagi-
nary enemy camped across the Po-
tomac River.
Will Plan Attack.
Col. Oehmann this afternoon will
go into conference with his battalion
commanders to map out a plan of at
tack.
A large detachment of troops under
command of Maj. Julian s. Olif left
camp today for the Gunston Hall rife
range, about miles from camp where
the men are trying their annual
scores.
Barbed-wire entanslements were
constructed in the camp today, and
the District troops were compli-
mented for their work. Company F
completed its task ahead of the
scheouled time. Later these troops
were taken out into the wooded
country OF the camp and given more
practical instruction in the destruc-
ton CT railroads. roads. bridges, trees,
etc. by the use of INT. exploded both
oy time fuse and electrical contact.
Camp Called HeaIthrul,
Maj, George ]. Allen. commanding
ehc hieoiSdi ueldCHInent, said tOday
that this was one Of the most health
ful camps ever attended by the Ma
tional Guard, and the hospital has
had no serious cases of illness since
1t was opened.
Capt. Boyde R. Bolton. camp sani-
tary officer, reported that Company B
headed the list in sanitary inspection
this morning.
Capt. H. H. Pohl, United States
Army Engineer Corps, assigned to
the District troops as instructor, left
camp today under orders for Virginia
Beach. Va, where he will be attached
to Camp Trinkle, where the 29th Di-
vision STAN Is encamped.
Tomorrow afternoon will be a day
of recreation for the men and an
elaborate athletic program containing
seven events has been arranged by
Chaplain A. L. Smith. The Judge will
be Lieut.. Col. Harry Gladman, second
in command of the regiment; Mai. Joe
Mickey, commanding the 1st Bat
talon. and Maj. Julian Ohff, com
manding the I'd Battalion. Capt. Jor-
gensen has been designated time
keeper and Capt. Sidney Morgan, clerk
of the course.