Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11
District National Guard

| housing the General Accounting Office,
which is to be provided for In the new
construction now going on in the terri
! tory south of Pennsylvania avenue. This
building has large open space on the
| ground floor, which was said by the Of
ficers to be ideally suited for drilling of
troops, and the upper floors would give
ample room for the various units. Also
there would be enough space to provide
| for the several new units which have
been assigned to the District by the War
Department, the organization of which
has been held In allegiance because of
the lack of quarters, not only for the
! troops, but also for the thousands of
dollars worth of valuable Federal prop
erty which would have to be issued to
the organizations for training purposes.
But almost every proposition has
been considered by the local militia Of
ficials, and while some solutions have
been reached on paper they cannot be
carried into effect because of the lack
Of funds. They are not even allowed
| enough money with which to rent an
adequate building, and are prevented by
law from making long term lease UNI
! der which some private owner might
possibly be willing to build suitable
structure for the Guards use If it could
be guaranteed that the Guard would
not have to vacate in year.
Since the troops which were formerly
In the T-U building on the Union Sta
| ton plaza have been moved into the
Wv building the already crowded con-
ditions have become considerably
worse. The troops are using small
rooms, with absolutely no drill space
except that outdoors between the build
ings. which is only large enough for a
company or two to drill at one time.
Drilling of battalion or regiment dur
ing the Winter months Is almost un-
heard Of. Except for recruit drilling
and squad movements the armory
training is limited almost to classroom
instruction and lectures on engineering
construction. There is little or no space
where any practical field engineering
instruction may be carried on for the
benefit OF the officers and men, and the
result Is that they have to get this un-
der an intensive period of training at
the annual encampment.
For the next two weeks the majority
OF the militiamen will be taking their
annual period of field training at Camp
Albert c. Ritchie at Cascade, Md. They
will leave this morning. and arrive there
shortly before noon, and after taking
the day to put the camp in order, they
VIII have brief period of recreation,
the long grind Of drill and training
starting tomorrow morning at $40
o'clock.
While these troops are just starting
their tour Of training, the 260th Coast
Artillery, commanded by Maj. Walter
w. Burns, returned to the city yeSter-
day after having been in a successful
period Of training at Fort Monroe, Va.
The troops which 60 into camp today
will be the 12lst Regiment of Engi-
neers. the largest of the local units,
commanded by Col. John w. Oehmann;
the 18th Division Special Troops, COM
manded by Mai. Edward H. Grove; the
29th Division Military Police Company,
commanded by Capt. William r. Roy;
the Quartermaster Corps Detachment,
headed by Capt. Fletcher F. Bernsdorff,
and Company A, 372d Infantry. COM
manded by Capt. Arthur c. Newman.
There also will be at the camp the
| Goth Division headquarters. For this
unit there will 60 from this city Maj
Gen. Anton Stephan and Lieut.. Col
Peyton G. hewitt, adujutant of the divi-
sion. The other officers of this staff will
come from various parts OF Maryland
and Virginia.
While a special train has been ar
ranged for the movement Of the local
troops to the mountain camp. author
| ity was issued yesterday for scores OF
| the officers and men to go to the en-
campment by private automobile. Each
| man who goes In this wan will be al-