Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01
District National Guard

officials of the National Guard Of the
District of Columbia to obtain an
nrmory befitting the dignity of the
local citizen soldiery. backed as it is
with most enViable record for serv-
Zee TO the country in any time of ma
tional need, has been offered to the
gnardsmen,
Mai Gen. Anton stephan, command
fng the local militia, during the week
received a letter from Il. j. Murphy,
chairman of the special committe on
Military and Naval affairs of the
Washington Board of Trade, asking
The former what service the commit
tee could be in the impending cam
paign to get such an armory from
Congress at the next session. The mat
ter was referred to the committe in a
letter from Richard Conner, assistant
secretary of the board, who informed
the committee chairman of the pro-
posal, supported by local govern
mental officials and others. to obtain
the present Center Market for an
armory, should 1t be decided to move
this elsewhere in the general scheme
of improving b street as a grand
boulevard from. the Capitol to the
Arlington Memorial Bridge now build
ing.
Gen. Stephan has written TO Mr..
Murphy telling him that the Guard
would much prefer the Pension Office
Building as an armory for the local
Guard, and that this was the first
choice of buildings now standing, but
It was realized that there is at pres.
ent. or for some time to come, very
little chance of getting this structure
for this purpose. in view of the recent
shift in government bureaus and the
placing of the general accounting Of
flee in this building. However, this
feature Of government activity is to be
taken care of in the big building pro-
gram on which the Government is
about to launch construction.
For a second choice, Gen. Stephan
said that the Center Market would
make good armory. 1t was indicated
that the site is an excellent one, and
the proposed improvement would
place the Guard along the road among
the great Government structures to go
up along the Mall area. 1t also was
pointed out that this structure could
he made into an attractive armory
with some expenditure of funds for
remodeling. Using the present stall
space on the first floor would provide
a very large drill hall, and besides.
there are two drill halls on the second
floor at the present time. One OF
these, that in the Ninth street wing,
was used by the local Guard for many
years before the War for drill pur-
poses and the rooms in the upper
stories were used as company quar-
ters.
In the meantime the Guard IS serv
ing in cramped and mosr inadequate
quarters in one of the government
hotel buildings on the Union Station
Plaza.
Indications that there will not be
any new units organized as part
of the local National Guard for some
time to come We're contained in let
ter sent last week by Gen. Stephan
to Capt. Arthur c. Newman, COM
handing Company A. 372d Infantry.
Capt Newman made a formal request
for permission to begin the organiZa-
ton. of the additional units to COM
plete the battalion Of Infantry of the
local Guard, and also that the officers
TO command them when given Federal
recognition be designated.
In denying the request 1t was
pointed out to Capt. Newman that
there were on file at the War Dapart-
men, now, requests for the organiza-
ton Of several units which have been
allotted to the local Guard in the gen.
eral national defensse scheme. How
ever. these, ii was announced, are De-
ing held up by the War Department.
because of the lack of funds with
which to pay the members II they
were enlisted for the new organiza-
tions. Some Of these, it was pointed
out, have been pending for more than
two wears, and until they are acted
upon, no new recommendations are
being sent TO the Department. al
though there is strong desire or the
officials to recruit up all organizations
which have been designated as a part
of the local Guard or of the 18th Ma
tional Guard Division, OF which IL Is
a. component part.
As soon as there is an indication
that the units contained in the re-
onests now on file will be authorized,
then consideration will be given to
the request of Capt. Newman for ithe
organization OF the battalion OF in
fantry.
Strong efforts are being made to OBJ
tain the use OF Army transport Cna-
teau Thierry, now locked at the
washington Navy Yard with pig iron
for the navy yard and German war
trophies for the Smithsonian Instltu-
ton, in which to dispatch the 260th
Coast Artillery to Fort Monroe for It's
annual encampment, which begins
next Saturday. This vessel is sched-
Med TO be at Fort Monroe on that
day to embark the Militia Artillery of
New York and Pennsylvania and re-
turn them TO their home stations from
their annual field training period. The
local troops are to relieve these units
at the Virginia seacOast defense.
Considerable will he saved in trans
portation funds If this can be brought
about, it was said, and II authorized
the troops will be called to duty FRI
day, making this an armory drill pc
Rod and placing them on duty; the
following day The men will be load
ed on the transport Friday evening
and the start made down the Poto-
mac River and Chesapeake Bay, ar
irving at the destination on Saturday
morning. "
Aside from the saving in transpor-
tation, il will be valuable training for
the citizen soldiers, as 1t will give
them a taste of service aboard an
Army transport. such as they would
have to face in time of war should 1t
be necessary 10 dispatch the troops
anywhere by water.
The departure of the Coast Artillery
men next Saturday will open the an
nual field encampments of the local
Guard. They will go for two weeks.
Week after next the 121st Engineers
will leave by train for Fort Hum
phreys, Va, for their annual field
service, and at the same time Gen.
Stephan and his staff will leave for
the 10Th Division encampment at
Camp Byrd, Virginia Beach, Va. At
the same time also Will go to Vip
ginia Beach the 29th Military Police
Company, which this year will ex-
perience its first encaynpment alone,
It heretofore having been sent into
the field with the 121st Regiment of
Engineers. AS the training of these
two units is along different lines, 1t