Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-08
STEPHAN FAVORS
AUDITORIUM USE
ASGUARD ARMORY
Says Representative Bow.
mans Bill Would Meet
Five-Year Necessity.
ST, 600, 900 DECLARED
AMPLE FOR PURCHASE
Committee Chairman Explains De-
STABILITY Of Converting Structure
Into Serviceable Building.

Conversion Of the Washington Audi
forum into a District National Guard
Armory would et1ectually solve the
arr1ory problem which has vsxed the
National Guard officials here for years,
provide an ideal structure" for housing
the District Guardsmen, and further re-
tain for the Capital q meeting place for
large organizations, Maj. Gen. Anton
Stephan, commanding oficer of the
District National Guard, declared today.
The proposal to turn the Auditorium
into an armory, before the National
Gusrd oficials for several months now,
went n step farther yesterday when
Representative Frank Bowman, Repub-
lican. Of West Virginia introduced q bill
IN the House calling for creation Of a
commission OF three men and authoriz-
ing appropriation of 81 ,oO0, 900 to ac-
quire the arrnory and make the neces-
sary changes In the structure to turn
1t into an arnory.
Wants Quick Action.
"Other plans We had afoot for an
arnlory put of as much as Ave years"
said Gen. Stephan. We want to get
the Guardsmen housed quickly, and
this Auditorium plan offers the solution
OF the problem. We can get the armory
In shape to house the Guardsnen In 90
days II the proposition goes through"
Gen. Stephan revealed today that
because the irst proposal did not carry
the changes In structure desired by
the guard official it had been frowned
uopn.
He explained that the gallery of the
building would be cut away and an
intermediate floor put in to give the
building greater space This would leave
. seating capacity Of approximately
1000 In the auditorium, which would
amply take care Of most Of the large
gatherings in the city, he said.
Evans Backs Plan.
Joshua Evans, IT,, today made the fol.
lowing statement with regard to con-
version Of the Auditorium into an
armory:
President Robert N. Harper Of the
washington Auditorium recently ap-
pointed . committee of which the
writer is chairman. and which con-
s1sts OF representative business and pro-
fessional men Of Washington, to look
into the desirability Of the Washington
Auditorium: with certain alterations, as
satisfactory building properly to house
our District National Guard The mem
bership Of this committee comprises
e. r. Colladay, Ross p. Andrews.
Thomas P. Littlepage, Robert v. Flem-
ing, Lawrence l.. Gourley, e. e. Ora
ham, Charles W. Darr, Z. J. Murphy,
George Lyman, Samuel j. Prescott,
z. G. Brandenburg and myself.
THE committee has had the assur-
ances from the directors of the Wash
tngton Auditorium that for this public
use the Auditorium can be acquired at
figure much below actual cost and
that from the estimates given BY
competent builder the price at which
the corporation would sell, plus the
cost Of alteration, would come well
within 81 200, 900. The builder further
advised that the alterations could be
completed within q short time, which
means practically immediate availa-
bility.
THE location Of the building, the
type Of architecture, its fireproof con-
struction, the complete adaptability of
the structure for the projected pur-
poses and the low purchase price all
argue In favor OF the building suo-
mitted. AS to the necessity for AIDE.
quate and permanent facilities for our
National Guard there can be no dis
sent. The present plight is generally
known and as generally deplored."