Evening star., 1925-12-27

Every straw that might have an
armcry of some kind ha nging on the
end of il is being seized upon by the
officials of lie National Guard of the
District nf Columbia in their clamor
10 provide roof over the citizen sol
diery after June 80 next. when the
Guard must vacant its present rented
armOry at Az l. street.
In the recent discussion over the
proposed movement Of the Depart
ment of Labor from its rented build
ing 10 the Pension Office Building
there appeared the statement that
the Labor Department did not want
this building. But the local National
Guard, facing a serious plight, is will
ing to take it and he thankful. on
cials Of the Guard are planning to ask
the Public Buildings Commission, of
which Senator Reed Smoot Is chair
man. to assign this building for the
use of the Guard as an armOrY. but
there is little chance that il will he
given to this organization in view of
the fact that there are so many Gov
erenment departments in rented quar-
ters and also in need of space.
In this proposition, as in the others
that have been put forward the
Guard is facing a strong opposition
to having the Federal Government
provide home for il. The Pension
Office Building is a Federal structure.
When the Guard recently asked Sena-
tor Smoot to include provision Tor
National Guard armory in the public
buildings bill. he took the position that
the Guard was a local proposition and
the District of Columbia should pro
vide il with a home.
So far. nothing has been found in
the way of A building that would he
\ % a
whose reputation as fighters and de
tenders of the country is at the top
of the list in all the Nations conflicts
To keep fit IL must train and have a
proper place in which To drill. vet on
all sides il is pointed out. there seems
to he no one willing to help il provide
such p place. Even The mea ger rental
allowance made by Congress for an
armory is not sufficient to get proper
quarters in which Ia carry on its
work
Efforts also will he made during the
week to have the chairmen of the
House and Senate District committees
introduce bills in the House and Sen
ate authorizing the erection of an
armory for the local National Qua rd
and settle once and for all the armory
question and permit the Guard TO get
down 10 a sound training basis in its
own home.
The District organiza ton is in a
peculiar situation. 1t is Fedora
force. coming directly under the Presi-
dent, as does the Regular Army. The
War Department requires that the
various States provide proper storage
places for the protection of the ex-
pensive equipment furnished for train
ing purposes. In the States this is
provided for by the local governments.
but the local Guard depends for its
appropriations from the Federal Con
gress. On the one ia nd il faces the
opposition on the ground that il is a
District force and the armory should
be provided by the District. md on
the other hand it faces local opposition
on the ground that the Federal Gov
ernment should provide it, In the
middle ground stands the Guard. prob
ing both sides. with the possibility it
will be out in the street with no roof
over its head while the opposition
presses tighter on both sides.
AS soon as the two bills are intro
duced in Congress nd referred to the
District committees, they will follow
the usual course and be sent to the
District Commissioners for commen
1t is the hope that the local city heads
will give their approval to the meas
ures. which were opposed at the last
session because in violation. il was
said, Of the Presidents orders for
economy. But the matter was not so
pressing as ii is now. with the ar
mory lease ending on June 80 and no
armory building in sight. Officials OF
the Guard. with the aid of officials OF
the Public Buildings Commission,
have been searching the city+to find
suitable building which could ne
~ No
Builders who have been approached
with the proposition of putting up
structure especially for the use of the
Guard AT the rental allowapSe given
nv Congress have declined.
Unless something is done at the
nresent Congress the local military
orga MIA ton faces the proposltlon oi
having itself divided and placed IN
va arious parts of the city, conlpdhH
here and a company there Whlch II
moi conducive TO good training. as
where the commanding ofhcer ol
regiment or other larger unit may
have all his comma nds directly undef
hin, where he can supervise ana Ill
rect the training.
Inventories uf property recenliE
taken hv Capt. Clay Anderson, thleu
states Engineer Corps. instructor ol
5he local National Guard. mas snow II
that rhe local citizen soldiers nave
,,nr,t +beir material in excellent shape
during the wear. Capt. Anderson sala
+bat he was very much pleased with
the conditions he found during the IN
snections and had much praise Tor
the local OUTFIT Most OF the com
NAMES had only small shortages, hut
on the whole there was n" great
shortage shown and there was Il"
falling back from last year
Two companies Of the l2lst ileei-
n1ent Of Engineers. the Headquar'ers
md Service Company and Company d.
nassed 100 per cent inspections. Every
niece of property which had heen
issued to these commands was on
hand for the inventory. and Capt
Anderson thought this worthy of espe-
cis1 recommendation. and Mai. l. c.
Rrinton. u 6. A., chief instructor
dispatched the following Identical ret-
ters 10 the comma nding officers OF
these units:
"It is desired TO commend Company
D. 121st Engineers tand headquarters
and Service Company, on the results
Of the annual inventory of property
lust completed. The property was
found to be on hand as charged, well
cared for. generally clean. neatly ar
ranged and finally presented for in
ventory and inspection in conven-
lent and systematic manner.
"The conditions found reflect 3
proper appreciation of property re-
sponibility on the part of the oncers
and men Of the orga nizatfon. II is
hoped and anticipated that the stan
dard reached this year will he main
tanned.
Company g. f21st Engineers. held
"a poIIpt the armOrN