Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29

laugh. SO far they have not recovered
enough from the shock to be able to
frame q reply, 1t was said,
The letter came from Regular Army
instructor Of Reserve Field Artillery.
with headquarters at Harrisburg. Pa.
1t appears that he Is In charge OF train:
ing three Field Artillery regiments OF
Reserye-the 57lst, 578th and 580th-
about 20 Of the officers Of which are
said to reside in the District Of Colum-
bia. Desiring to give these ofi1cers some
training In the way of lectures and
military criticisms and discussions, the
officer wrote to the local Guard officials
making application for authority to use
lone OF your armories" for instruction
purposes. The local Guard officials for
more than q score Of years have been
Just one armory.
The National Guard Association of
the United States for years has been
informed of the sad lack Of armory
facilities in the National Capital, and
every Regular Army inspector within
the last decade has made a references
In his report to the War Department
of the woeful lack of armory training
facilities In the National Capital, where
above all there should be such, so that
the Federal Government could set an
example for the States In providing for
their respective militia organizations.
But this lack seems to have escaped the
notice of the Pennsylvania officer.
At any rate, the local Guard officials
are going to try again this year to con-
vince Congress that the time is ripe Tor
providing the local citizen soldiers with
a building in which they can receive
military training under the most mod
ern conditions While some plans are
being discussed, it has not been made
known yet what form OF legislation will
be sought at the regular session. Sew
eral projects have heretofore been put
forth. but have always fallen on deaf
ears. One of these Is proposed bill
which, If enacted into law, would au-
thorize the use of the Pension Once
Building In Judiciary Square as an ar
mory for the local troops. This build
ing now is occupied by the General Ac-
counting once, which, however, Is to
be provided for in one Of the buildings
in the triangle south OF the Avenue,
now the scene of much active construc-
ton for various Government depart
ments and bureaus. Another proposal
is for the construction of a new build
ing especially designed for militia train
ing, on some governmental site in the
city, while a third project is to provide
the Guard with sufficient funds for use
as rent so that effort may be made to
have some private individual or corpora
ton erect a building suitable for the
use of the Guard as an armory.
Oficials will urge that something De
done this year in order to assure fu-
ture home for the guardsmen, as there
Is now much uncertainty as TO Wnen
the organization must vacate its present
quarters in one of the old Government
Hotel buildings on the Union Station
Plaza. The work of raZing some OF the
old hotel buildings to make way Tor the
Improvement of the area In which they
are located as a part OF the present
Capitol Grounds has been started. Inc
structures nearer the Capitol nave ais
appeared, and the next are the build
irlgs on the area closer to the Union
Station, but as yet no time mas oeen
set for them to be RACED. But the ofl-
cials do not want to wait until the order
is given for the destruction OF the build
inps. as there will be too little time In
which to provide another place, and so
thew are going to press their cause
again before the coming regular ses-
sion Of Congress.
The annual prize rife competitions
of the local Guard will be held october
IL, 10 and 20 on the rifle range at
Camp Simms. Congress Heights. D. G.,
and they have been placed under the
direction of Capt. j. c. Jensen, Ord
nance Department, in charge OF the
Guard rifle practice. Capt. Jensen mas
been instructed to recommend to brigade
headquarters the names OF personnel
whom he desires to act as officials at
the matches.
Two matches will be fired october IL,
beginning at 1880 o'clock. One Will be
49, %aa oh YNfn
open to one team of six shooting men,
bers and one team captain from each
company, battery or separate detach-
ment. Fifty per cent of the shooting
members of each team must be enlisted
personnel who have never fired on any
team representing the local Guard or
any part of the Guard in any rife COM
petition, and who have never partici-
pated in the national rife matches.
The course of fire will be d." and. in
addition, slow fire. five Shots sitting. at
800 yards, with no sighting shots; five
shots kneeling, at 300 yards, with no
sighting shots, and 10 shots prone, at
600 yards, with no sighting shots. The
prizes will be: To the winning team, a
bronze trophy to be held in the COM
pany rooms for one year, and gold
medals to the members; second place,
silver medals. and third place, bronze
medals.
The other match to be fred on that
day will be the automatic rife match,
open to one team of two enlisted shoot
separate detachment armed with the
automatic rife. Course of fire, qualif1-
cation course, automatic rife. Prizes:
To the winning team, bronze trophy
to be held in the company rooms for
one year and silver medals Victoria
trophy to the individual members.
Five matches are scheduled for Oc-
tober 10. They are the novice match,
open to those who have completed their
official target practice for the year
1929 and have failed to qualify as
match open to those who have COM
pleted their official target practice for
the year 1929 and have qualified as
marksmen or better; experts match,
open to those who are not tyros; in
structor's match, class A, open to en-
listed personnel who are ineligible to
compete in any of the above matches
and who have never qualified as marks
men or better, and the instructors
match, class B, open to enlisted per-
sonnet who are ineligible to compete in
any Of the above matches, who have
qualified as marksnen or better at any
time.
For all Of the above matches the
course of fire will be ID"
Four matches. the last Of the series,
will be fired on October 20. The first
will be the 300-yard match, open to
those who have fired course "D'' since
January /, 1929. and who have quail
fed as marksmen or better. The course
Of fire In this match will be five shots
sitting and five shots kneeling, with no
sighting shots. The second match will
be the 600-yard, open to those who
have fired course I'D" since January /,
1929, and who have qualified as marks
men or better. The course Of fire will
be 10 shots prone, with two sighting
shots. The third match of this series