Evening star., 1926-03-28

pleted arr n 6 E. Corpl, ], G. Bowling.
mentS for its first
dance of the year, to be given at the
Coast Artillery Armory, Water ana y
streets southwest, on the evening OF
April 5. Maj. Walter w. Burns, COM
manding the battalion, reports that
all indications point to d successful
affair for these guardians of the coast.
1t is the hope of those in charge of the
affair that the organization will have
as its guests Maj. Gen. Anton
stephan, commanding the 29th Ma
tional Guard Division, and his staff;
the entire regiment of the 121st En-
eineers and the 29th Military Police
Company. A general invitation has
been extended to the public to help
the coast artillerymen to celebrate.
The dance committee comprises
the following non-commissioned Of
flcers: Corpl. D. j. Mccarthy, chair
man; Sergt. Thomas n. Lynch, chair
man Of the ticket committee; Sergt.
Cecil w. Burden, chairman of the cQm-
mittee on decorations, assisted by
Corpl. Leonard Cooper; Sergt. Justin
A Shook, chairman of the refresh
ments committee, assisted by Sergt.
Edward Reinmuth.
Lieut.. Col. Peyton G.. hewitt, adjutant
of the 29th National Guard Division
and acting quartermaSter of the local
Guard, spent practically an entire day
last week combing the town in an
effort to find a home for the Guard
after June 80, next, when it must va
cate its present armory, at 472 l. street
northwest. He visited ',very Sec'1Ou
of the city. but said that he could not
find a suitable building within the
rental allowance given the Guard by
Congress.
Should the officers Of the Guard be
called before the subcommittee on
District of Columbia appropriations of
the Senate appropriations committee.
when the District funds measure ar
rives in the upper house of Congress,
they want to be armed with as many
propositions as possible, so that the
committee may act intelligently on
the request for funds for an armory.
In a further effort to obtain a prop
osition, the Guard has sent out scores
of copies of circular letter to all real
estate men Of the city, asking them to
submit any building propositions they
had which might be useful to the
local Guard as a home. Several re-
plies were received. but it was found
for the most part that the buildings
cient floor space to house the local
Guards activities. and particularly
they lacked sufficient drill hall space,
which is imperative in the Winter
time, when the Guard must train in
doors. One proposition was received
in which an offer was made to erect
building on a l0-yearleaSe basis at a
cost of $4,000 a year.
1t is the view of some of the officials
of the Guard that if a suitable build
ing is found the Guard may pro-
ceed to rent it in accordance with
provision in the pending appropria-
ton bill, and if it is higher than the
amount of money carried in this bill.
then a deficiency appropriation may
be asked for next Spring. But the
matter of a suitable building is be-
coming a very serious matter with
the Guard officials. in view of the
rapid approach of the time when it
must vacate it's present quarters and
get settled before the time for the an
nual encampments arrive, in August.
There is little likelihood now, it
was said, that Congress would make
provision this year for the erection
of an armory, and each day makes it
more and more hopeless that the
guard will obtain the first floor of the
Pension Office Building, which it has
been seeking.
Some changes in the dates recon-
mended by local Guard headquarters
for the annual encampments of some
of the units of the Guard were made
when the camp approval orders were
returned from headquarters of the
Army Third Corps Area headquarters
at Baltimore, Md. Under the dates
now ordered by the Army, the 260th
Coast Artillery, Maj. Walter W. Burns
commanding, will hold its annual
training period at Fort Monroe, Va,
from Arcr1iSt to % Ii had hnen