Evening star., 1929-06-09

Clinging to the hope that it will not
have to vacate one of the two former
Government hotel buildings on the
Union Station Plaza, the National
| Guard of the District Of Columbia has
appealed to Senator Reed Smoot,
chairman of the Public Buildings Com
mission, to assist 1t in having an
nulled the order of the United States
Housing Corporation to get out. In
the hope that this move will bring re-
suits, it was said at the brigade head
quarters last week that nothing has
been done toward the provision of an
other building.
officials are very frank to point out
that they do not know just where
they will put the troops which are
housed in the structure which they
have been ordered to vacate. In ad-
dition to having all of the division
headquarters troops housed in this
building much of it is given over to
storerooms where is kept the valuable
equipment loaned to the Guard by the
Regular Army to carry on the training
Of the former.
Notice has been received by us
from the United States Housing Cor
poration," says letter of Gen. Stephan
to Senator Smoot, directing that we
vacate by July one of the buildings
now occupied by us as an armory. At
best the two buildings now occupied
in the temporary structures on the
plaza are far from adequate for our
use. This REIMBURSEMENT of one of
them will still further handicap the
training of the local guard units, as it
will involve moving all or the major
part Of the troops now in that building
TO quarters to be provided elsewhere
francf0r ~ iY1fr I1a
remaining building here with a conse-
quent congestion.
Il seriously doubt the practical
economy of rehabilitating the build
ing now in question for use as a hotel.
In view Of this and of our urgent need
we appeal to you and your committee
for help. We request that you re-
consider and that we be permitted to
continue in possession Of both build
ings here until the time comes for
razing them or until suitable housing
has been provided for us. We, Of
course, deeply appreciate the interest
you have shown in the past and we
trust that that interest will continue
and that you will grant this further
request.
"It is realized that the difficulty of
obtaining any action on CUR relief in
the House of Representatives at this
special session is probably insuperable.
However, in the hope that something
may be done along the line suggested
in your letter of January 10, 1929, I
am forwarding this date to you, to
Representative Richard N. Elliott and
to Representative Frederick N. Zihlman,
identic letters requesting authorization
for arnory construction.
THE relief asked for herein will
tide us over until action can be had
on the other request"
1t is understood the building which
the Housing Corporation is seeking is
to be refltted and reopened as a hotel
to provide rooms for the women now
occupying the buildings in the squares
Immediately adjacent to the Capitol.
These are to be razed to make way for
the first part of the improvement
which eventually will extend the Cap
itol grounds to the Union Station.
AS pointed out, it will be very ex-
pensive to reflt the building for hotel
purposes, as it is in a bad state of
repair, and since the troops have been
ing the structure into small hotel
rooms have been torn down to make
better training quarters and recreation
rooms for the troops which occupy it.
If the appeal fails and it is necessary
to move the troops, it probably will be
to building in some other part of the
city, resulting in decentralization of
the Guard. Efforts have been made for
years to keep the various organizations
together, and this, to some extent, was
made possible when the Government
hotels were allotted to the troops. The
Coast Artillery occupies the old Naval
Militia Armory on the water front of
Washington Channel
The officials are hoping that the
Public Buildings Commission will find
solution as it did when it assigned the
Guard to the Government hotel group,
following a decision of the Attorney
General that the local militia was a
Federal Government activity, which put
it under the protective wing of the
buildings commission with other Gov
ernment departments, so far as the
ALLEGATION Of space is concerned.
Capt Just G. Jensen, Ordnance De-
partment, in charge Of the rifle range at
Camp Simms, Congress Heights. D. c.,
has issued the following memoranda to
all Guard organizations:
Commanders of organizations which
will have detachmentS at the target
range on Sundays will advise the ord
| nance officer as far in advance as prac-
| ticable of the approximate number OF
] personnel who will be present each
| Sunday, together with information as
| to the courses to be fired, in order that
! arrangements for necessary targets and
luncheon may be made.
Detachments arriving at the range
will register at the range house upon
| arrival, in order that subsistence may
be furnished. In the future sandwiches
! will be prepared for the number OF
men registered and those for each
group or detachment will be placed in
boxes and delivered to the officer or
non commissioned officer Of the de-
/ tachmer1t at such time as he calls for