Evening star., 1925-11-08

structed for various State units, and
the costs and types, with a view to
presenting them to the committees of
Congress when the armory matter is
brought up in the coming session.
There will be a strenuous effort to
force the issue at this session of the
armory question which has been hang
Ing fire for many years here, and with
the Guard, in each move it is re
quired to make in obtaining rented
armories, getting worse and worse
quarters each time.
President Coolidge has indicated
that he is not familiar enough with
local military conditions to say wheth-
er local armory project should be
included in the proposed measure to
house the Government departments
here in public structures, and get
them out of the costly rented struc-
lures they now are occupying. He is
rather inclined, 1t was said by a
White House spokesman, to leave the
| matter to some central body.
1t is the Presidents idea regarding
the public buildings bill, it was said,
that Congress should provide funds
for building program to cover a
period of years, and leave to a central
official body to say what buildings
X,
rather than have specific buildings
provided for. OF course, the local peo-
| pie would rather see specific provision
made for an armory so that there
would be some assurance that the goal
had been reached, rather than to leave
the matter to a body which might
| view the question from the standpoint
J of providing for the Government de
partments before the local military is
I
vision made for 1t in such d public
building. bill, 1t is likely that those
pushing the project will fall back on
the bill which was introduced at the
| last session of Congress, which spe-
cifically provided for the erection of
an armory here, with the Federal Gov
ernment paying portion OF the cost
| and the District part, in the same
manner that apportionment is made
| of the other District expenses. This
| measure failed of passage, and, of
| course, will have to be reintroduced
| at the coming session.
In the meantime, officials are look
| ing around for some vented quarters
which they may occupy while await
| ing the construction of d public arm
ory If one is provided. Overtures have
been made to local builders to see
what they would put up structure
| for, and the conditions under which
they would rent it, and Government
agencies are looking around for a
| building already erected which might
| be used by the Guard when it is
| forced to vacated its present quarters
at 472 l. street northwest, on June 80,
| next. 1t is a serious problem with the
| Guard officials, and il is no nearer so
! luton than the day when the organ.
| iZation received notice that it could
no longer retain the present structure
after the present lease expires.
| Information has been collected on
| the Hunt Memorial Armory in Pitts
| burgh, and pictures and plans have
been obtained from the architect, ]. T.
kuntz. The photographs received at
Guard headquarters show it to be an
| imposing structure, built expressly for
| the units which occupy it. 1t is occu-
| pied by the 107th Field Artillery, of
| the Pennsylvania National Guard, con
sisting of three light artillery units,
| one medical detachment and one serV-
| ice unit. Mr.. KuntZ wrote that the
| cost of the structure was approx
! mately 100000, but added that the
cost of erecting similar building at
| this time would no doubt be somewhat
| increased, as this structure was com
pleted in 1921. He offered TO confer
! with the local Guard officials on the
matter of erecting an armory here.