Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-18
District National Guard

Troops of the National Guard of the
District of Columbia quartered at the
Pennsylvania avenue armory were Wis
tied last week and inspected both on
the drill field and in their schools by
Maj. Gen. Paul B. Malone, U. S. Army,
commanding the Sid Corps Area, which
comprises all military activities in this
city and the States of Maryland, Viz
ginia and Pennsylvania.
After inspecting the citizen soldiers
on the drill field in the Mall, the area
commander was rendered a review, dur
ing which the 121St Regiment Of En-
gineers the 29th Division Military Po-
lice Troops and the 29th National
Guard Division headquarters troops
| that he appeared to be favorably i'm
pressed with the showing made, and
also said that he halted the 10Th Divi-
sion Military Police Company and COM
mended its commander on its APP
pearance, precision of drill and size OF
the organization.
Upon the return of the troops to the
armory, following the regular drill
period, Maj. Gen. Malone visited the
organizations in their quarters and
inspected the schools then in session.
He showed particular interest in the
school conducted by Company C, under
Capt. Jorgensen, and the map-making
! school under Lieut.. Everett.
The officers and men indicated that
they felt highly complimented by the
visit of the corps area commander, who
was accompanied on the inspection by
Maj. Gen Anton Stephen, commander OF
the local Guard, as we'll as the goth Ma
tional Guard Division, comprising the
citizen troop units of this city and the
States of Maryland and Virginia
Prior to the inspection Gen. Malone
was a dinner guest of Gen. Stephan
who also had with him Lieut.. Col. j. S
Upham, u. S. Army, adjutant general
of the local militia, and Lieut.. Col. Pey-
| ton G. hewitt. assistant adjutant gen.
eral of the local Guard.
Officers of the local Guard were hosts
last Wednesday night at buffet supper
at the Pennsylvania avenue armory to
Lieut.. Charles B. Elliott, U. S. A., for
| mer senior instructor Of the local
Guard and now detailed at the Tank
/ School, at Fort George G. Meade, Md
rs student.
Addresses praiSing the services here
of Col. Elliott were delivered by Lieut.
Col. Julian diff. 121st Engineers Maj
Walter w. Burns, commanding the
260th Regiment of Coast Artillery, and
Capt. William T. Roy, commanding the
18th Division Military. Police Company
Col. Elliott also spoke.
Gen. Stephan also delivered an ad-
GresS in presenting to the Army man
on behalf of the Guard officers, a field
toilet kit as token of the esteem in
which he was held here.
The State Detachment headed the list
OF the local Guard organizations in the
matter of attendance last week, its per-
centage, taken from its weekly drill re-
port, showing 100 per cent of personnel
! present. There were two other units
which gained the classification of su-
perior and were placed in the top
group. They were the Medical Depart
ment Detachment 121st Engineers, with
a percentage of 9473, and the 18th
Division Military Police Company, with
a percentage of 9285.
The other organizations, in their re-
spective classifications, with percent
ages, follow IN their relative order:
EXcellent-Headquar Detachment,
29th Division, 1904; Headquarters and
Service Company, 121st Engineers,
82.45; Company E, 121st Engineers.
80.95; Headquarters Detachment and
Combat Train, 260th Coast Artillery, 80.
! Very tisfactory-Medical Depart
ment Detachment, 260th Coast Artil-
lery, 1892; Battery E. 26Oth Coast Ar
tlllery. 1920; Battery B, 260th Coast
Artillery, 1888; Company A, 372d In
fantry, 72.o6; Battery A, 26oth Coast
Artillery, 70.
ls1actory-Company D, 121st En-
gineers, 65.08: Company B, 121st En-
glneers, 1898; Headquarters Detach-
ment, Special Troops, 29th Division.
$3.50; Company C, 12lst Engineers
6l;9O; Band, 121st Engineers, 5000.
Unsatisfactory-Battery C, 269th
Coast Artillery, 1865; Company A, l21st
Engineers, 5645.
Pvt. John v. Berberich. jr.. Head
quarters Detachment, 29t0 Division.
has been ordered promoted to the
grade OF master sergeant, upon recon-
mendation of the company commander.
Col. William H. Waldron, United
States Army, the executive of the Mill
tia Bureau, has written to the adjutant
general of the District of Columbia and
to the States, inviting their attention
to the excellent training of radio op-
orators in the National Guard, as DEM
onstrated the past Summer at Fort
Riley, Kans., under the supervision of
AACuI. wi. w. T.. MCFdTlanQ.
The report of Col Mcfarland, re-
ceived at the Militia Bureau, the an
nouncement says. indicates the Ma
tional Guard radio telegraph station,
operating at Fort Riley, established an
amateur radio net within the State
during its regular Summer encamp-
ment and exchanged a total of 3.771
radiograms with cities in Kansas. where
units Of the National Guard are sta
n
sonai greetings between members of
the National Guard in camp for the
annual field training and relatives and
friends at their home stations and
were without charge. These messages,
1t was stated further, were handled at
the home stations voluntarily by Ii
censed amateur radio telegraphers,
who delivered them either by telephone
or by the aid of Boy Scouts. The
radio station at the camp was OPP
Grated by members of the Kansas Ma
tioral Guard, and this service was in
addition to their regular duties as
soldiers. Col. Mcfarland reported that
all the operators concerned handled
the messages with unusual rapidity and
accuracy, and demonstrated practical
efficiency. He further reports that all
the apparatus used was homemade"
by the operators themselves and re-
quired technical ability of a high order.
Col. Waldron, in his letter, stated:
by this method of training radio
operators, a high degree Of efficiency
was obtained, which is evidenced by the
speed and number of messages handled
by the several amateur stations. A
closer contact was made between the
friends and relatives of the guardsmen,
thereby creating interest. of the citizens
in their local National Guard. There
will be, no doubt, a greater interest
shown by the young men of technical
knowledge throughout the communities
where the different units are located,
thereby facilitating recruiting of the
type of young men greatly desired by
cnmnanV commanders for their nrpani-