Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-02
District National Guard
While the National Capital Park and

While the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission has recommended
that the Pension once Building in
Judiciary Square be assigned to the Ma
tional Guard of the District of Column
bia for use as an armory for the train
ing of the local citizen soldiers, 1t is
the belief in Guard circles that it viii
require legislation by Congress to as
sure that the recommendation will be-
come fact. The question, 1t is said,
has arisen as to whether the Public
Buildings Commission has the authority
to allot Federal building space to the
local militia, although it assumed that
authority when it assigned them several
of the old Government Hotel buildings
on the Union Station plaza, which were
used proir to the transfer of the Guard
to its present quarters in the old Ma
tional Hotel Building at Sixth street
and Pennsylvania avenue.
1t was pointed out that the question
of legal authority may be settled by the
passage of an enabling act by Congress
authorizing the Public Buildings Com
mission to assign the building to the
Guard. It is probable that this matter
when it meets here again. Lieut.. Col
U. S. Grant, Sd. is executive officer of
both the Planning Commission, which
made the recommendation, and of the
Public Buildings Commission which al
lots the space in public buildings to the
Federal departments and independent
institutions.
Whatever may be the result of the
discussion, 1t will be several years, at
least, before the Pension Office Building
is vacated It was indicated that the
plans for the proposed building for the
general accounting Office, now housed
in the Pension ONCE Building, have
not even been drawn, and 1t will be
some time before it Is provided for in
the public building construction in the
Avenue triangle.
At any rate, while the. discussion is
going on about permanent location
for the local troops, arrangements are
being made by the Guard officials to re-
main in the present building for some
time. 1t Is not believed that they will
be faced with the necessity of moving
again until the Pension Office matter Is
settled or the structure is vacated, as
it is not considered likely that this par
ticular part of the proposed municipal
development will be needed for several
years.
The organizations are being made
quite comfortable in the old hotel build
ing, although it is admitted that they
are handicapped during the Winter
months by the lack Of drill hall large
enough to carry out extensive oper-
ations. In good weather, however, the
troops have their drills in The Mall
near the armory, where section has
been set aside for them by the ONCE
Of Public Buildings and Public Parks
of the National Capital.
The fact that the Park and Planning
Commission has approved the location
Of the local Guard in the Pension Office
Building, it Is believed, will have great
weight with the Public Buildings Com
mission and Congress, when and if the
proposed enabling legislation is offered
The local Guard officials and former
officials, for more than a quarter OF o
century, have been fighting for a per-
manent building for the local troops
but SO far their efforts have been un-
availing and they have been compelled
from time to time, to move from one
inadequate building to another.
In announcing the recommendation
of the Park and Planning Commission
1t was pointed out that the Pension Of
flee site in Judiciary Square was the
logical location for the citizen troops
because of the fact that it would be on
the edge Of the proposed municipal
center wherein 1t Is proposed to locate
all OF the Districts municipal activities
Sergt. Francis j. Ennis, Company A.
372d Infantry, has been ordered honor
ably discharged on account of his hav-
ing reached the age of "a years The
non-c commissioned officer first entered
the local Militia service on February
ID, 1895. He was mustered into Fed
eral service at the outbreak of the Mex
lean disturbance in 1916, and again
mustered into the Federal service on
March 26, 1917. Subsequent to the war,
"A CT d. 10
Pvt. Robert S. Fisher, Battery A
260th Coast Artillery, has been ordered
honorably discharged on account of re-
moval from the District.
The following enlisted men Of the
121st Regiment Of Engineers have been
ordered transferred from the active to
the Reserve lists of their respective or
CARNATIONS, on account of business in
reference with the performance of mil
itary duty; Pvt. William T. Davis, Head
quarters and Service Company; Pvt
Glenn v. Jones, Headquarters and Serv-
ice Company; Pvt. Clarence r. Kyle
Headquarters and Service Company
Pvt. Robert r. Rock, Headquarters and
Service Company; Private w. B. Cal
vert, Company F. and Thomas A.
Ma1sel, Company F.
Pvt. MATHEW C. Soldano has been
ordered transferred from the Reserve to
the active list of Company c, 121st
Engineers.
Orders have been issued by Col. John
w. Oehmann, commanding the 121st
Engineers, that the equipment of units
of the regiment will be inspected dur
| ing the following periods: Week OF
Y1io
| of November 10, Companies G and D;
week of November II, Companies E and
| F; week of November "a, Headquarters
| and Service Company and Medical De-
partment Detachment.
The inspections will be conducted by
First Lieut.. John c. Wade, Regular
| Army instructor. Col. Oehmann's ord
er points out that these inspections
| are preliminary to the coming annual
inspection and that the same care must
be exercised In conducting them. It is
the intention to correct, as far as pos
sible, all shortages and deficiencies
without delay.
The Commissioners of the District OF
Columbia have issued orders authoriz-
ing the superintendent of the Gallinger
| Municipal Hospital to accept for free
treatment the members of the local
militia who are injured at armory drill
or while on voluntary duty. This set
ties a problem which has been facing
the Guard for some time.
While adequate provision is made by
the Federal Government for the care
of militiamen who become sick or are
injured while serving at the annual
field encampment, nevertheless there
have been cases where militiamen have
been injured while engaged in their
weekly drills, and, many times, while
they have been performing purely vol
untary duty for the Guard. 1t was
pointed out that it was deemed unfair
to expect a member of the militia who
was volunteering his services to bear
the nYnenSa of hnsnita1 treatment for