Evening star., 1926-09-05


| the Winter season that there would
be no open time available for the use
| of the Guard
The Guard. however. has obtained
permission from Mrs. Susie Root
| Rhodes, head of the District play
ground department, 10 use the play
ground on the Union Station Plaza for
drill purposes. 1t is planned to equip
this area with flood lights. but the
! Guard officials are now wrestling with
the problem Of getting current To the
lights. The District lighting depart
ment has refused permission to con
meet UP with the street lighting cir
cult because. it was said. it would in
terfere With the traffic lights How
ever the matter is being gone into
further, with a view To finding a
place IL connect up the lights. On
good nights, il was pointed ont. the
troops will be taken into the open and
will have this space only until Con
SreSs sees fit to provide an adequate
arfnory for the Guard
Guard officials expressed themselves
as happy to have the American I4e-
gion lighting fQc their armory. and
Will watch with considerable interest
the efforts 6f the local department of
the legion to have the national con
ventirn in Philadelphia go on record
IN favor Of a satisfactory armory for
the local Guard. Many of the local
legionnaires received their military
training in the local Guard and fully
realize the difficulties which have al
ways faced he local organization in
its training because of the lack of an
armory.
The fight ,f+1f>a an armory will be re-
sumed at the coming session of Con-
sress. Gen. Stephan announced He
said that he was going to make a
strong effort, first. to have Congress
authorize the usc Of the Pension Office
Binding for Il Guard armory, and il
TINS fails. then he was going to make
an effort 10 have the present Center
Market building assigned to the
Guard
He pointed out that the matter Is
noW Squarniy up to Congress and the
Public Buildings Commission, and
should the Legislative body decide that
the hotel buildings on the plaza must
go which would, of course, again
throw the Guard out of a home, *
IS entirely up TO the Public Build
lnGS Commission to provide 4 place.
This is because the Attorney Cen
eral OF the United States. in an opin-
it'ii ltitttitu " Itltt DullUlf2S COM
mission. said that the local Guard
was such a Federal activity in the
District as requireds the commission
to find it a home as it did for other
Federal activities here
1t is understood also that when
the Guard officials go TO Congress to
explain their estimates for the next
fiscal year they will have plan
fof the erection of an allnory build
ing hy private individuals. on a guar
antee of 4 certain rental for a long
term lease. These three propositions
will be laid >quarely before Congress
With q full statement of the situa-
tiun, and that body viii be left With
the problem Of providing an armory
suitable for a Federal Guard organiza-
ton. which would serve as Il model
for National Guards throughout the
country.
There is a possibility that the 121st
Engineers may lose one OF it's bat
TALON commanders, Maj. Joe X.
Mickey, q veteran Of the local Guard
for many years. Maj. Mickey an
nounced that there was Il possibility
that his civilian work MAY take him
10 n now assignment outside Of the
city in which event he would have
I" relinQuiSh his commission in the
local Guard. Il situation which has
been viewed with much regret by
many officers OF the command, as
Well rs a large portion Of the on
listed pslsonne..
This has created considerable dis
cus:>ion in the Guard as 10 who would
be the next battalion commander. If
the present practice be followed OF
assignment Will so TO Capt. Ralph 5.
thiitlS. AT present. commanding Com
pany r, who is the senior captain in
the organization. OF course. it viii
he q matter of e%amnatl>-r 1t is
understood that if Capt. Chiids passes
the examination b" will be promoted
70 ajor to till the vacancy expected
10 be created by the resignation Of
Maj. Mickey.
Tie local National Guard has been
informed hN the War Department
that it has been granted one vacancy
in the next class to be organized at
West Point. Already preparations
are being made 10 I'll il, as the local.
Guard now is represented in each Of
the four classes by a former member
appointed from it, and the class JUST
graduated had a former member Of
the Guard.
Six enlisted men Of the Guard al
ready have announced their candi-
dacy for this appointment and have
been organized into class for the
entrance examinations. Lieut.. Homer
r. Millard, Company j.. is coaching
these men, as he is n former West
Point man.
The requirements arc that candi-
dates shalt have served not less than
one year in the Guard prior to July
j. 1927. must be between the ages Of
10 and 90 and not less than ; feet
4 inches tall. All of these require
ments are statutory and cannot be
waived. The entrance examinations
are TO be held March /, 1927, and
the local Guard viii have to make its
designation following the November
preliminary examinations, but at any
rate, not later than December 10,
1926.
Guard headquarters has received
from Maj. w. +. A. Anderson, act
ing commandant OF Fort Humphreys.
Va! where the 12lst Engineers held
its recent cncampment, the following
letter:
My participation in the review
given by your regiment to Maj. Gen.
Creed (. Hammond, chief of the
Militia Bureau. and TO your other
guests. gave me an opportunity to
chsevve the excellent type of men
that compose the 121st Engineers
The execution Of movements of the
review showed careful attention to
training and reflected credit upon you
and every man in the organization.
The local National Guard will be
by rifle team at the rifle
competitions being held at Sea Girt
y. j.. from September TO September
-. Upon completion of this duty this
team will proceed to Camp Meade
Md. for the Sd Corps Area matches.
which will be held from september II
TO 10.