Evening star., 1933-07-07
Official Announces, However,
No Thought Is Being
Given to Shift.
FOREST GREEN UNIFORM
CALLED FOR IN PROPOSAL
Uncertainty About Status After Be-
coming Interior Unit Is Causing
Force Wide Concern.

The nearly 80 members of the United
States Park Police are acutely disturbed
today over a proposal of the National
Park Service, now under consideration,
to put them into the forest green uni
form Of the park rangers of the West,
fearing that they might be scattered
all over the country.
A. E. Demaray, senior assistant di-
rector of the Park Service, made it clear
the whole subject is now under consid-
GRAFTON and that nothing has been de-
cided finally. The Office of Public
Buildings and Public Parks, of which
the Park Police are now a part, is to be
abolished soon and its functions taken
over by the Interior Department under
the Presidents reorganization program.
Demaray emphasized there is no
thought of transferring the present
United States Park Police force, Whe.
it Is taken over as unit by the Interior
Department and scattering them
throughout the Western parks. He said
the only vital difference from the pres
ent set-up would be that they would
wear the distinctive green uniform of
the park rangers rather than the blue,
similar to that worn by the Metropol-
itan Police here.
Consider Asking Transfers.
So stirred up are the park police
over the impending change that many
OF them are talking about requesting
transfers to the Metropolitan Police Of
the District. Those who are eligible
are seriously considering retiring, rather
than face an uncertain future Capt.
P. j. Carroll. the civilian head of the
force and right-hand man of Capt.
Doyle o. Hickey, the Regular Army
of1cer, who is superintendent of the
outnt, shares the concern of his men
Demarey said he hopes to build up in
Washington and on the Mount Vernon
Memorial Highway ranger force that
Will develop an esprit de corps such as
exists among the rangers in Yosemite
or Yellowstone. The uniforms of tn
rangers are similar to those worn
Army officers, Demaray said. and II
use StetSon hat or cap with VI:
depending upon the duty. He said
motor cycle officers here likewise VIC
be equipped with caps
The assistant director asserted tha
the rangers of the West are proud O
their uniform, and he hopes the new
force here would be a source of pride
to its members.
Il do not want them to feel their
interests will be jeopardized by the
change" Demaray said. Our men do
not like to be known as police. for we
want to invite the public in and help
them to enjoy the parks"
Basis Same as City Police.
The assistant director was informed
that the Park Police are paid out of
District OF Columbia funds, and have
uniform allowance, and that they
are under the same retirement system
as the Metropolitan Police here, en-
tltl1ng them to $3.50 a month, rather
than s1oO. as prevails under the Fed
eral system. Demaray said that with
the change to the new Bureau in the
Interior Department, which is to be
made up OF the present National Parks
Service, the Office of Public Buildings
and Public Parks and certain ceme-
teries under the War Department, no
existing legal rights would be changed.
The rangers under the park service
now have to buy their own uniforms.
but Demaray said there is no reason to
believe Congress will treat the men of
the present park police force differently
from what they have been in the past
after they have been embodied in the
Interior Department.
He added his organization hopes to
build up the force here to be oficered
by men who have risen within its own
ranks, instead of bringing in outside
officers. There is every reason to be-
lieve Capt. Carroll will be the head of
the new force here, he said.