Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31

partment, and immediate steps are TO
We taken to obtain the necessary
personnel. The new outfits will be
part OF the divisional organization of
yhe 10Th National Guard Division. the
headquarters of which is in this city.
The units are the headquarters de-
tachment, 29th Division: headquar-
tiers detachment, 29th Division spe-
cial troops, and the headquarters,
division special troops.
In the 29th Division headquarters
detachment there Will I've no officers
and 81 enlisted men, the command
coming under the headquarters com
mandant; the headquarters detach-
ment, 29th Division special troops,
will be composed of one captain, one
first lieutenant and eight enlisted
men and Will have control of such
units as tank, signal headquarters.
ordnance and motor cycle, and the
headquarters division special troops
viii be composed of one major.
Work OF selecting the commissions
ed personnel for these units now has
been instituted. and it is said to be
probable that the greater portion of
1t Will come from the l2lSt Regiment
uf Engineers which. of course. will
mean that when the vacancies are
created there will he promotions all
along the line
Capt. L. II. Grove. who recently
was detached as plans and training
officer of the 121st Regiment of En-
gineers and ordered as quartermas
Ier of the local Guard. will not carry
out these orders. which have been
rescinded, but viii he promoted to
the rank OF major and given com
nand Of the headquarters division
commissioned personnel of the other
new units has as yet been made.
AS soon as the necessary commits
stoned and enlisted personnel has
been obtained the local Guard has
been instructed to notify the COM
manding general of the Sd Corps
Area at Baltimore, 50 that they may
be Inspected and Ei.en Federal reCog-
milton.
The three units assigned to the
District of Columbia are a part of 10
headquarters and IS units authorized
for Guard units throughout the coun-.
try. The authorizations by the War
Department Will carry an increase in
the Guard strength for the country
as whole from 1888 to 1S5,73O.
The units will be admitted to Fed
eral recognition under the following
conditions, laid down by the War
Department:
That before recognition OF new
unit or new headquarters Is extended
the State concerned will be informed
that such recognition is contingent
upon the fact that the Federal funds
allotted TO that State for the fiscal
year 1926 will be sufficient for such
new unit or new headquarters. and,
further, that should the funds or new
e headquarters for any purpose other
than armory drill pay the State will
so reduce the strength of its Guard
} to the extent necessary TO bring the
financial requirements within the Fed
eral funds allotted.
z If, however, the only item in the
allotment to the State for the fiscal
year 1927. insufficient to support the
new units or new headquarters, is
armory drill pay, the State will be in
formed prior to recognition that in
such event it will be necessary TO re
duce the strength of its Guard or so
reduce the number of armory drills, or
both, that the financial requirements
come within the Federal funds al
lotted
The local Guard also was inforiJ cd
that until further notice the ma Ximum
strength authorized by the War De
partment for it would be 81 commits
stoned officers, one warrant officer and
. g5U enlisted men.
That the National Guard OF the
/ country would stand firmly behind the
local militiamen in their fight TO OBJ
tain d permanent home for their
training purposes was indicated in IA
letter received at headquarters this
week from Brig. Edward j. West
colt of the National Guard of New
. York, in which he said, among other
things
Il am sure that the National Guard
of New York will stand solid behind
your endeavors to secure an armory
at the National Capital. In my opjn-
ion, the Accommodations for the Ma
tional Guard stationed in the District
of Columbia are q disgrace to the
United States and has been for many
years Washington is the one city in
the country that should have an
armory for her citizen soldiers that
could be pointed to with pride by every
member OF the National Guard who
visits the National Capital
The local Guard has Il greater de-
gree of permaneucy in its commits
stoned personnel than other units of
the country. il was indicated when the
Militia Bureau Informed il that the
average turn over of commissioned
personnel Of the Guard as a whole is
S3 Is per cent annually. During the
year 1925 the local Guard lost only
, two out Of 30 officers and these We're
transferred to the National Guard Re
serve Corps at their own request.
The Post Office Department in the
future will allow military leave for
members Of the National Guard of
the District of Columbia when ordered
out for duty for training or for other
purposes. The pay of a number of
men of the local Guard who went to
camp last year was held up by Post
I Office financial officers, but on argu
ments and records presented by the
} Guard. It was pointed out that the law
required this leave, and the men have
finally been paid their overdue sal
aries.
| Some difficulty is being developed
. In getting the District Commissioners
behind the proposal for an armory for
the local Guard, to be erected out of
Federal funds, it was learned. While
! the city heads are favorable to the
idea Of the armOry. nevertheless il was
pointed out they have to sCrutinize
such propositions closely because OF
tthe great cost. At Il recent conference
! 1t was sad. ii was pointed out by city
officials that the proposal to build the
harmony, contained in a bill now pend
I ing in Congress- would increase the
local tax rate % per cent, and this
increase Is greater than the Commits
tsionerS want to saddle the people with.
Nevertheless something viii have to
! be done for the Guard. which has been
kicked about from building to building
cover q long course uI years, none Of
1.-THE buildings being suitable for eff