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

After several years Of absence from
the city, Rev. Arthur L. Smith, former
chaplain Of the 12lst Engineers and
veteran of the local militia, has re-
turned. He appeared before board ol
examination last week. and recommen-
dations, it was said at the brigade head
quarters, have been made for his COM
mission by the War Department as
chaplain with the rank of captain. The
formalities were Speeded up in the hope
that the commission would be issued In
time for the present encampment.
Chaplain Smith first saw service with
the District Guard when the old Sd
Infantry was called to the colors dur
ing the Mexican difficulties in 1914. At
that time as a Y. M. c. A. secretary he
was in charge of those activities at Fort
Myer, Va, where the District troops
were camped prior to their movement
to the border. When the troops went
to the front, Chaplain Smith also went.
Shortly after the war he became af-
filiated with the postwar organization
and was commissioned chaplain Of the
Engineer regiment. During the en-
campments he had charge of all the
ular with both the enlisted and COM
misSioned personnel. Several years ago
he resigned and went to North
Carolina.
onicers of the local Guard are much
concerned over the reports that the
Public Buildings Commission is to con-
slider the question of a home for the
local troops. They had not heard that
they were to be disturbed from their
present quarters, although they are
cramped, and would welcome some re-
lief from these conditions, which were
made considerably worse when the T-U
building was taken away from them
to be fitted up as a hotel for women.
They are somewhat skeptical about
the suggestion that the buildings oc-
cupied by them are to be torn down
to make way for the improvement OF
the Capitol parkway between the pres
ent Capitol grounds and the Union
Station. 1t was pointed out that the
government now is spending thou
sands of dollars to refit the old hotel
building, and they expressed some
doubt If this expenditure would be con-
tinued II the buildings were to be
torn down shortly after.
However, the Public Buildings Com
mission has been thoroughly acqualnt-
ed with the plight of the local militia
men from an armory training stand
point, as during the past few years
the problem has been almost constant
Nv before JnaI DOOys III Onc 1OIH vi
another. It was the Public Buildings
Commission which placed. the local
Guard in the present hotel units. fol-
lowing a ruling of the then Attorney
General of the United States that the
local Guard was such a Federal &C
tivity as to come under the Jurtsdlc-
ton of the commission for the allo-
cation of space the same as any other
Federal department.
II the parkway is to be completed
between the Union Station and the
present Capitol grounds, then the Guard
must be taken into consideration seri-
ousiy, and it is probably this matter
which has brought 1t to the fore at
this time by the commission. Several
bills have been introduced in Congress
providing for the construction OF an
armory, and it is probable that the
Guard officials and others VIII make
further effort to have them approved
this year, as they cannot continue
much longer and give the proper train
ing to the troops with the very poor
facilities at hand.
While many officers OF the Guard
would prefer that q new building be
provided for on public space. a struc-
ture which could be built to meet the
peculiar requirements OF such an Or
aanization, nevertheless the ofncials
have expressed themselves as still favor
ing the Pension Once Building, nov