Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-11
District National Guard

Lieut. Col. John s. Upham, named
during the week to come here as ad-
jutant general of the National Guard
of the District of Columbia, it was said
at brigade headquarters Of the Militia,
probably will not arrive on his new de-
tail until some time next month. He Is
not scheduled to leave his present post
"a, and upon arrival in New York is
to be given a short leave Of absence. In
the meantime, the affairs Of the Adju-
tant Generals Department will be di-
rected by Lieut.. Col. Peyton G. hewitt of
the local militia.
The Army officer assigned here as
adjutant general is given a commission
in the local Guard as a lieutenant COL
onel to provide him with the necessary
authority over the Militia.
Mai. Walter w. Burns, commanding
the 260th Coast Artillery, went to Fort
Monroe, Va, last week, where he re-
ported for duty at the Coast Artillery
School there as student of the special
field officers course, which will end
on February %. Upon completion OF the
course, Mai. Burns will return to Wash
ington.
National Guard officers throughout the
| country are being appealed to by Brig.
Gen. Dudley J: Hard, president of the
National Guard Association of the
United States, to use their influence
toward securing the passage at the cur
rent session of Congress of the new
National Guard bill.
After years OF study and discussion"
said a letter received by the local brig
ade headquarters from the association
president, "the National Guard bill,
known as the Speaks Bill, H. r. 1913
received the unanimous Endorsement of
the Guard at its annual convention in
Los Angeles in 1929. This Endorsement
was reafffrmed at it's recent convention
held at Boston. Its passage is of the
greatest Importance to the Guard and
to the country. The Guard is a volun-
tary organization and takes pride in
that fact. This bill proposes to make
the Guard a reserve component OF the
Army of the United States, so that in
clared by the Congress, it can be i'm
mediately effective as such without the
delay incident to draft, its State status
and State control being strictly pre-
served and uninpaired, except during
the period. of such emergency. The bill
also provides that upon the termination
of the emergency the Guard will be re-
stored intact to its State status without
the disastrous results incident to de-
mobilization, such as have heretofore
occurred under the present law.
1.-THE Guard has, therefore, volun-
tarily and unanimously offered, in ef-
feet. to waive the necessity Of draft leg
islation and to make itself ready for
Immediate service. 1t is imperatively
necessary for those concerned in estab-
fishing a safe defense for our country
that Congress should accept this offer.
The bill adds no expense to the present
establishment. ~&
This. biIl," he continues. ''was ia
vorably reported out of committee on
July 2, 1880, and will be placed on the
calendar at this session, Az president
of the National Guard Association of
the United States, let me urge the pas
sage Of this bill" 4
: The following have been ordered
transferred from the active to the fe7
serve list Of Company b, 12lst Engt-
neers, on account of educational inter-
teEeuce Nth Tho performances of mills