Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-27
District National Guard

Whatever else the National Guard OF
Che District Of Columbia may be lacking
in modern arInory facilities for the
training Of the citizen soldiers for
service In the field in time of war, it
will not long be without one of the most
modern mf1rmarieS. Maj. George j.
Allen, veteran medical officer of the
Guard, now on the State staff, has been
authorized by Maj. Gen. Anton Stephan,
commanding the Guard, to acquire
equipment necessary for setting up g
medical department which not only will
be able to handle cases developing In
the armory, but will be the central place
for the training of men for service In
this important department.
Gen. Stephan last week visited the
United States Veterans Bureau, and,
with Maj. Allen, went over the elaborate
1nf1rmary equipment there for the han
ding of all kinds of cases, and at that
time discussed with Maj. Allen the needs
to equip the proposed new Guard insti-
tuition. It will be the new medical
center of the Guard, and its operation
will be supervised by Maj. Allen, whose
long service not only with the Guard at
its annual encampmentS, but with 1t in
the field has ably fitted him to handle
this new project.
The new infirmary will be assigned
one Of the large rooms in the National
Hotel Building, recently acquired by the
Guard as an armory, and the work of
fitting 1t up will be started Immediately.
Modern sanitary floor covering, such as
is found in the best operating rooms in
hospitals, will be purchased, together
with operating tables, sterilizers and
medical kits.
It will be the first time in the history
Of the Guard that such medical CEN
ter has been planned on such an elabo-
rate scale, to be in charge Of the chief
medical officer. Work on the project is
to be rushed, and it is probable that it
will be ready for service before the
annual inspections which are scheduled
to begin on May Is. AL Of the major
medical work of the Guard, according
to present plans, it was said, is to be
handled in the new medical center.
Maj. Allen, in addition to his duty as
the state staff medical officer, has, at
recent encampmentS of the Guard, been
attached to the 10Th Division staff as
the division surgeon, and 1t Is under
stood that he will go to Fort Meade
this Summer Is the division surgeon,
when the 29th Guard Division goes there
for the hrst division maneuver since its
organization.
Cen. Stephan said that he wanted the
new medical center to be developed into
the best institution Of its kind in the
Militia, and to that end would give every
aid possible to Mai. Allen in his work
of establishing the new infirmary. This
new medical center will be separate and
distinct from other medical units of
the Guard which are attached to the
line organizations. When completed, 1t
was said, its facilities will compare
favorably with those In any modern
hospital.
When the two new District Of Column
bia Commissioners who recently took
the oath of Office have settled down in
their positions, 1t is understood that
they viii be asked to consider the mat
ter Of aiding In obtaining legislation
for the provision Of a new and specially
built armory for the permanent housing
of the Militia Of this city.
It is the belief that the two new Com
missioners will be In q more receptive
mood for considering such q project
than any board heretofore. Commits
sioner Reichelderfer was for many years
chief surgeon of the local Militia, hav-
ing the detail now filled by Maj. Allen.
He Is thoroughly familiar with the
problems of the local Guard, and having
worked IN some OF its unsuitable
handicaps under which it has worked
for q number of years. Gen. Crosby, 1t
Is hoped, will give favorable considera-
hon to any proposition submitted by
the local Guard officials, and by virtue
Of his military training will be able to
fully visualize the difficulties under
which the Militia officers and men now
work in the building that Is more or
less Of makeshift.
Senator Smoot recently suggested to
the Guard officials that they take the
matter up with the District Commits
nonerS and seek to have those officials
recommend to Congress legislation pro-
Viding for the construction Of q build
ing for the permanent use Of the Guard.
They did not get very far with previous
boards, but it the belief that they will
receive more consideration now than
ever before.
There are among the subordinate Of
6cialS of the District government some
who have proved stumbling blocks to
any efforts to obtain such legislation,
and their objections have been based
principally on the ground that the Dis
trict taxpayers should not be compelled
to pay for the construction of such a
building. They contend that the local
Guard Is q Federal one and that the
money for any building, If provided,
should come from the Federal Treas
ury.
Even in the face Of this, 1t is known
that officials OF the guard are consider
ing taking the matter up with the pres
ent officials, with a view to getting their
approval to some legislation which can
be presented to the next Congress, as
1t Is not believed that there Is time
enough now to have any such matter
Aandled by the present Congress.
Considerable information on the pro-
posed 29th Division maneuver to be held
at Fort George G. Meade this Summer
have been received by Mai. Gen. Steph-
an, commanding, and his staff. This
information will be impaired to the
other officers Of the staff and discussed
ut a meeting to be held In Rich
mond, Va, in the near future. orders
1or the converting of the staff, which is
composed Of officers of the Guard of
shis city and Maryland and Virginia,
already have been issued by the COM
manding general.
Gen. Stephan said that it will be one
OF the most interesting mimic war oper-
atoms participated in by the division
since its organization following the war.
The division staff, starting out from
Fort Meade as base, will move to
new site, from day to day, working in
the peninsular bounded by the Potomac
and Patuxtent Rivers. A large number
OF troops will be assembled for the
maneuver, including the division head
quarters troops attached to the local
Guard.
Special facilities for the storage Of
clothing have been provided at the new
armory. The crowded conditions in
buildings heretofore assigned to the
Guard for armory purposes have made
At necessary to pack the clothing in
such way that when 1t had to be
gotten out for special occasions special