Evening star., 1929-06-30

The congratulations of the command
ing general of the National Guard o
the District of Columbia were conveyed
last week in general orders to certain
officers and men Of the 26oth Coasi
Artillery for the fine reports received
of the work of that organization from
the chief of Coast Artillery, United
States Army.
Memorandum of the Office of the
chief of Coast Artillery, War Depart
ment, dated March %, 1929, publishes
the record and ratings of all Coast Ar
tillery organizations participating In
target practice in 1928. OF 16 National
Guard anti-aircraft 75-mm. and S-inch
batteries rates. Battery c. 260th Coast
Artillery, District of Columbia National
Guard, is the only battery rated as
excellent in any of the practices.
Battery A, 260th Coast Artillery,
District of Columbia National Guard,
is rated excellent in two Searchlight
practices, with scores of 1872 and 71.2.
Its nearest National Guard competitor
made score of 37.8.
THE commanding general desires to
make of record his extreme gratifica-
ton that the District of Columbia units
should so far excel their competitors.
To Mai Walter w. Burns, commanding
the battalion; to Capt. Louis NJ. Gosorn,
commanding the searchlight battery;
to Capt. Robert T. Daily, commanding
the gun battery, and to each member
Of these organizations whose jealous
work has made such excellent results
possible, hearty congratulations are ex.
tended"
Oficers Of the brigade headquarters
of the local Guard are busy house hunt
ing as they must be out of the T-U
building on the Union Station Plaza
T,.f. L. foil al aN1d
word has been received from the Pub
lie Buildings Commission that it has
no space available in which the Guard
can store the thousands of dollars
worth of equipment now in the build
ing which is to be vacated.
The troops housed in this building,
It has been decided, will be quartered
in the Wv building. which the Guard
has been allowed to retain. While this
will further cramp the troops already
there, nevertheless it is the only course
open to the organization, all other Gov
eminent agencies having turned deaf
ear on the local citizen Soldiery when
appealed to for help
Although several years ago the At
torney General of the United States
rendered an informal opinion that the
local militia was Federal activity and
that the Public Buildings Commission
as it did Government department In
Washington, nevertheless no quarters
have been found by that governmental
agency at this time. It seems to have
frowned on its duty as laid down by
the Attorney General.
While the officers are making the
best of a situation that has been
forced on them by the determination
of the Housing Corporation to continue
in the hotel business, at the great ex-
pense of renting the building formerly
used by the troops, nevertheless 1t is
very likely that they will go to Con-
sress at the coming regular session
harder than ever in an effort to have
that body provide the legislation neces-
sary for an adequate and permanent
building for the housing and training
of the local troops.
Thousands of dollars worth of heavy
equipment must be moved from the
T-U Building within the next few days
It will be stored in some building OF
structure not yet determined upon
But officers said that they would find
some place, so that the work of refinish-
ing the hotel building may go forward
The following of Company 3, 121si
Engineers, have been ordered honor.
ably discharged from the Guard or
account of removal from the city: Pvts
George j. Williamson and Melvir
Knorr.
The following have been ordered
transferred from the reserve to th'
active lists of their respective COM
panies: Pvts. Arthur D. Mulloy, jr.
Andrew C. Murphy, Howard I. Piel
and Albert j. Sciacca, all of Company !
121st Engineers, and Charles e. NallI
Of Battery c, 260th Coast Artillery.
OF the Army of the United States
In the National Guard, says a publ
cation just issued by the Militia Blu.
reau, the following aggregate number:
of troops were receiving training June
80, 1928: Infantry, 94,794; Field Ar
tillery, 33,407; Coast Artillery, 13,085i
Cavalry, 1882; Engineers, 8,035;
Medical, 6,975; Quartermaster, 2,347
Signal 1,044; miscellaneous, 8,952; 9
total of 181 1,221.
These numbers are distributed over
48 States, the District of Columbia
Territory of Hawaii and Porto Rico, 81
entities with varying local problems.
The Militia Bureau calls attention
particularly to the above and to the
fact that intelligent analysis of its in
structions on training can only be made
with those figures in mind, coupled
with the fact that the status of train
4IlB III bAlC 6AaA0 DO O W4AOAS
varies from that of a newly -organizec
company to a division headquarter'
with six years training behind it.
Under the varying conditions affect
ing units in different localities anC
with only approximately 1872 hours, n
in the armory and so in the field al
the annual encampments, per yeal
available, the Militia Bureau believe;
the training for the majority OF the
NTnk IL n~I %Nrn iV1 M.
eral, must be in military fundamentals
that is, training must consist of con-
scientious attention to explanation or
and painstaking correction of details
on the part of officers, together will
corresponding painstaking response OF
the part of enlisted men as individual:
and in groups. The Militia Bureau be-
lieves that loyal, active support OF THU
policy will produce such results tina
units may be passed as proficient b!
superior authority in various basic sub
jects, and so progress, with approval o.
the same authority, to more advanced
stages Of training.
With the above in mind, each or.
ganiZation commander, from that Of
the detachment up to the division, L
urged to make a distinct training sur.
vey of his command to determine tht
status of its proficiency in each peril.
nent training subject, and in accord
ance with the requirements of higher
authority and the survey, plan, undel
the hours and facilities available, the
program and schedule, where appli'
cable, best suited to bring up his or
ganization to balanced training leve
of efficiency Incidentally, a training
survey as above indicated, carried only
in the head, is of little value, thu
Militia Bureau says.
In planning progress, the statment
further says, 1t should be borne ir
mind that the National Guard train;