Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-27

The lack of drill hall facilities fol
the National Guard of the District OF
Columbia was again last week brought
directly to the attention of the Com
missioners Of the District Of Columbia
when Mai. Gen. Stephan asked fol
authority to close a section of the pub
lie highway in the vicinity of the
armory OF: drill nights, so that the
troops might be drilled without inter
ference from traffic.
ut is requested" said Gen. Stephan's
letter, that parking be prohibited on
North Capitol street from B street to
d street from to 10 pm. on Tuesday
evening of each week. and that au-
thority be granted to close this street
tersections from 8 to 10 pm. or those
evenings, to enable the District of Co
aslmbia National Guard to hold its reg
tilar drills in this area. AS you are
aware, the National Guard of the Dis
trict Of Columbia lacks any drill hall
and 1t Is essential that space Of some
character ne made available. Until re-
areas between: buildings in the Gov
eminent Hotel group, but since those
buildings have been reoccupied 1t Is
impossible to continue that arrange
ment."
For several years the lack of ade-
uuate armory facilities has been
brought to the attention of the Dis
t-ict Commissioners, particularly at the
Time OIL the consideration of the estl-
mates, but little or no help has been
given the militiamen toward getting
adequate quarters. There Is known TO
be a feeling among some OF the Of
ficials at the District Building that the
local troops are a Federal force, and
that the Federal Government should
provide the building and land. and not
the District taxpayers. However. the
Federal Government. as represented by
the War Department in this case, looks
to the District to furnish the facilities
as the States of the Union do. Prae-
tically every State which has milltlS
organization has provided fine armorieA
and one of the most notable examples
of adequate provision for the citizen
soldiers is the nearby State Of Mary
land. In every community where
there is even company of troops the
State has provided fine building, spe-
cially equipped for the training OF
troops. In addition to this, the
armories are open for the use OF the
men, ard they are considerably used
for entertainment purposes. which
serves in the end to increase the
morale of the units.
Even in the instruction of officers
and conferences between them the
Guard officials have to depend more
or less on charity. There is not a
satisfactory place in the present quar-
ters where these can be held, ana
recently the use of the City Club has
been obtained for this purpose. Iii
this connection Gen. Stephan has jusC
written a letter to rudolph Jose: presi-
dent of the City Club, expressing his
appreciation for the courtesy extended
in permitting the officers Of the local
Guard to assemble in the blue room
of the club for meeting.
your cooperation in this respect,
the general said, els most helpful, in
view of the fact that our facilities are
such that suitable rooms for such AZ
assembly are lacking"
Much of the instruction of the local
troops also is given in classes, but the
old hotel building being used as armory
is so cut up into small rooms that
it is with difficulty that place can
be found large enough for falr-sizeo
group of men.
Just what angle the armOry question
will take this year when the regular
session of Congress conveneS has not
been aScertained, 1t was said at the
brigade headquarters, but it Is known
that efforts are being made to obtain
as much political backing as possible;
More than a year ago the National
Guard Association of the United States
took decisive action on the matter and
instructed its officials to do everything
possible to assist the local officials in
pettiSlg SUFFICIENT funds from the Con-
uress for the purpose Of providing an
arnory. Some of the officials OF this
organization conferred with members OF
Congress at the last session, but did not
get very far, and the matter was lost In
the rush of legislation at the short ses-
sion.
While the Guard officials would like
to see Congress provide money for
specially constructed building on pub
lie site, nevertheless they would be sat-
isfied with some building suitable for
their use. They have had their eyes
for some time on the Pension Office
Building, in Judiciary Square. This
structure is now occupied by the gen.
eral accounting office, which is to be
provided for in a building to be erected
in the Avenue triangle. The Pension
Building. according to the military off,
Gals. would be very satisfactory, as the
large space on the first floor could be
used for drill purposes, as practically an
entire regiment can be assembled at one
time, while the rooms on the upper
floors, overlooking the balcony. could be
used for company quarters and storage
space.
Even in their efforts to acquire this
building the local of11cials have received
little support from the War Depart
ment. When aid was sought there some
time ago the officials were non-com-
initial, indicating that the structure, If
1t could be obtained, might be needed
for use of the War Department activi-
ties. This was in the face OF repeated
recommendations of the Regular Army
inspectors that the District troops were
sadly in need of building, not only