Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-06
District National Guard

Inauguration of q new policy OF
bringing together all of the commits.
stoned personnel of the National Guard
of the District of Columbia for period
ical discussions of matters vitality az
fecting the organization and military
p training was announced at the brigade
headquarters last week. 1t Is the pur-
pose Of the directing officials OF Inc
guard to have the officers Of practit ally
all of the organizations to meet at in
determinate periods for the exchange OF
ideas of mutual benefit to the various
unit commanders and for The purpose
of cementing the entire outfit into a
homogeneous whole.
"It is contemplated" says head
quarters memorandum, that perlodl-
cally the officers of the National Guard
of the District o: Columbia Will be as
sembled for discussion Of matters OF
general interest not specifically covered
in the training schedule or correspond
ence courses. At the first assembly the
subject of new unit mobilization plans
will be presented and certain ADMIR-
iStrative deficiencies of general occur
renee or application will be discussed"
The first meeting will be held at $40
o'clock october 16, and all officers as
signed to units of the 29th Division
and 260th Coast Artillery have been di-
TECIeu W NC pLCSCDb uLllCSo CASuoCo oo ~
result of application made in writing
to brigade headquarters. This will ne
cessitate the officers putting in another
night in addition to their regular drill
period.
The first meeting will be held at the
City Club. The reason for this Is that
the local Guard has no place in any of
its so-called armory buildings large
enough even for the assembly of its Of
ficer personnel, to say nothing Of the
large units.
With the approach of the Winter sea-
son. coupled with such inclement
weather as prevailed during the most of
last week, the troops will be unable to
use even the small courtyard between
the buildings on the Union Station
plaza for assembly purposes, and must
confine their drilling, if they do it at
all in the narrow pasSageway OF a
structure built only for hotel purposes.
Facing such lack of assembly space. the
troops will, for the most part, have to
confine their military training 20 class
room instruction, and this in tiny
rooms originally planned to contain
bed and dresser.
Efforts of the Guard to obtain Suffi-
cient funds from the last Congress with
which to begin the construction OF an
armory as permanent nome LOT tne
District troops failed. At that time the
Guard officials sought 100000 for the
purpose of starting the construction,
and announced that it was proposed to
carry the building program over a pc
riod of five years. At that time it was
pointed out that there is no building
located in Washington which is suitable
for armory purposes and that private
interests will not undertake to erect
such building except at such a rental
as would completely pay for the build
ing within a 10-year period.
In this connection it has been point
ed out that during the past 25 years
approximately 100000 has been ex-
pended for rental for armories for the
local militia. to which was added the
statement that had such an appropria-
ton been made at that time the Guard
would now be housed in an adequate