Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-16
District National Guard

Formal orders announcing the plans
for the removal of the National Guard
of the District of Columbia from its
present armory, in one of the Govern
ment hotel buildings on the Union Sta
ton Plaza, to the National Hotel Build
| ing, at Sixth street and Pennsylvania
| avenue, have been issued by the brigade
headquarters. The order OF the transfer
of the various units has been outlined.
| The Headquarters Detachment, 29tn
Division, will be the first to be trans
ferred to the new quarters, followed in
turn by the 29th Division Military Po-
lice Company, the Headquarters and
Service Company, 121st Engineers, I'd
Battalion, and finally the LIST Battalion
of the same regiment.
It was pointed out by Lieut.. Col. F.
H. Smith. adjutant general, that as some
| repairing and remodeling must be done
| before the troops take up their duty IN
| the building it was considered more
| desirable to do the work prior to the
removal of the property. AS soon as the
repairing is done, the unit commanders
will be instructed to have the troops re-
move their equipment from the lockers,
and these will be transported during the
daytime and later set up IN the struc-
| ture Then, on the first drill night, fol-
lowing completion of this the troops Will
report at the old armory, and will take
| their own equipment to the building and
place it In the lockers. In this way, It
| was added, company commanders may
keep a closer check on property for
which they are responsible than would
be possible If the moving was let ny ouIK
| contract.
owing to the fact of the repairs. 1t
was not certain last week just when the
| troops would be in the hotel structure:
| But oficials indicated that they will
be sent as quickly as it is possible to get
them there. The annual inspection pc
Rod is approaching, and 1t Is the desire
that everything be shipshape before the
Regular Army inspectors arrive on the
scene to put the troops and their armory
| through the annual examination.
In connection with the repairs, Capt.
! Just G. Jensen, Ordnance Department,
and in charge of rifle training of the
Guard, has been instructed to prepare
estimates for the remodelling of one OF
the large rooms in the building for use
as an indoor rifle gallery. During the
Winter months the troops are given con-
siderable work in indoor rifle shooting,
and the provision of such gallery is
considered of much importance. How
ever. it was said that this will not delay
the movement of the troops to the new
quarters.
Just how long the Guard will be al
lowed to remain in the newly assigned
quarters is as uncertain as the provision
of a permanent armory for the local
troops. The hotel building is on site
which is eventually to become part OF
the municipal center, and 1t was only
because it has already been acquired for
this purpose by the Government that 1t
was allocated to the District Guard,
which faced eviction from its present
quarters because the building is to be
RACED to make way for the improvement
of the land as a part OF the Capitol
grounds.
It was said at the brigade head
quarters that no one from the National
! Capital Park and Planning Commission
has called on any of the militia officials
here in regard to plans for a new and
permanent armory. The commission re-
Gently announced that such commit
tee had been appointed, following an
| unfaVorable recommendation on the
Bowman bill, now in Congress, which
would authorize the acquisition of the
Washington Auditorium and its remod-
cling for use as a permanent armory
for the local militia.
Martin L. Green. private, first class,
in Company E, 121st Engineers, has ap-
piled to brigade headquarters for per-
mission to attend one of the Citizens
Military Training Camps this Summer.
Quite a few of the members Of the
Guard avail themselves of these camps
during the Summer for the purpose OF
increasing their military training, but
before they can go 1t is necessary to
obtain authority from the organizations
OF which they are members, and they
must go at time which does not con-
f1lct with the annual encampment period
OF their respective units in the Guard.
A summary of the rife and pistol
practice OF the 121st Engineers during
the year ended December 81 last has
been compiled and just made public at
Brigade headquarters. For pistol prac-
tice the figures showed that Company
E stood highest, with an average score
of $3.50, with Company c a close sec
ond, with an average score of SO. The
Headquarters and Service Company had
an average OF 81; Company A, is;
Company B, 34.44: Company D, 1888.
with Company F, none fired
In the rifle practice Company D was
high company, with score of 20972;
| Company G, 1852; Company e, 194.34
Company A, 1863; Headquarters and
Service Company, 1877; Company B,
8l.34, and Company F, GLIB.
Only individuals of three companies
fired the automatic rife, and Company d
also stood high in that group, with an
average of 1877; Company E, second,
with score of 377, and Company B,
score of TITS.
The report shows that 72.15 per cent
of the men qualified with the pistol.
50.34 per cent with the rife and 1888
with the automatic rife. There were
440 men on the rolls required to take
the rife course, of which number I52
we're excused from firing, 143 completed
the course, but did not qualify, while
288 completed the course. Out of rs
supposed to take the course In pistol
shooting only "a fired, 10 qualifying
While z took the automatic rife course
only qualified out of 80 on the rolls
required to take the course.
1 Corp. Adam G. Mouton, Company F.
| 121st Engineers, has been transferred to
the Headquarters and Service Company,
same regiment as private. however,
! upon reporting for duty in his new as
signment Pvt. Mouton was Immediately
promoted to the rank Of stan sergeant