Evening star., 1926-08-22

quarters and Service Company, -21st
Engineers, has announced his inten-
ton to Top Sergt. Ireland of seeking
an appointment to West Point from
the local National Guard next year.
Mess Sergt William l.. Green. who
in previous camps has established
reputation for his Company + Of be
ing the best-fed outfit in camp, has
had axtra duties put upon him. He
now is feeding the entire I'd Battalion
of which his company is part.
Prepa arations are being made ior
the issuance Of an official paper for
the 12lst Regiment of Engineers
Lieut. Mollard of + Company is editor.
organizer and publisher. and he is
forming a staff of associate editors.
one from each company. who will
compile the news and witty sayings
of the barracks, that all may laugh. ::
The paper is to be printed on the
camp presses. which have been gem
erously loaned for the purpose. and
it will he printed by the tethnicists o,
Company F. Capt. George w. Johns.
comma nding. A large number of the
members of this command are EN-
ployes of the mechanical departments
VI AhC Wv IlilIiiS CiiINC
Difficulties met with in attempting
properly to train the local Eational
Guard for service in the field under q
handicap Of unsuitable and Inadequate
armory facilities is to he strongly i'm.
pressed on Congress al the coming
session. both to members of the Sen
ate and House District of Columbia
committees and to the subcommittee
ION District appropriations of the
House and Senate appropriations COM
mitteeS
The reflection on the Government
of failing to provide the Guard at the
National Capital with adequate quar-
ters Is pointed to. whereas the Ma
tional Capital should have the best
armory facilities of the country. to
be used as model Of what the Gov
ernment would want the States to
provide. The local National Guaru
is Federal force, although the funds
for its maintenance come out of the
revenues of the District of Columbia
The Attorney General of the United
States has ruled that the local Guard
is Federal force. and for that reason
the P'iblic Buildings Commission was
required to provide quarters for it the
same as any other Federal activity
in Washington. There is some dis
cussion as to what effect this might
have on the appropriations when they
come up for consideration in the Dis
trlct bill at the next session. II was
pointed out that if it is a Fedora,
force. then the Federal Government
should provide funds for an armorv
In It's building program. and that it
is not for the District Of Columbia to
do 1t. In this respect the local Guard
Is different from any State organiza.
tl0n. The commissions of it's officers
are issued by the President of the
United States. whereas those of the
state National Guard officers are is
sued by the governors of the States.
1t has been known for some time bv
those in close touch with Guard af
fairs that there has been opposition
from District officials to allowing
funds for the support Of the Guard
out of District revenues for this rea
son, and particularly have efforts to
obtain authority for an armorv been
met with blockades. In the dispute as
to who is responsible for this mill
tary child. it was pointed out. the
Guard has suffered by having no pro
vision made for proper place in
which IT could train
The whole matter will he brought to
head at the coming session of Con
gress. when the Guard will seek an
appropriation large enough to coax
local builder into building suitable
armory. under a long term lease, or
authority to begin the construction
of a Government-owned building. espe-
cially for the Guard. and for its per-
manent use. Estimates including
these two provisions were included
by the Guard in its recommenda tions
to the commissioners of the District.
but II has not been divulged whether
the commissioners passed them on to
the Bureau of the Budget and. of
course. 1t is uncertain as to whether
the Budget Bureau will let the recon-.
mendation go to Congress. In the
event that the recommendations fail
to run this gantlet of scrutiny. then
it is proba BILE that the Guard officers
will present the matter direct to Con-
sress and put there the responsibility