Evening star., 1933-08-03
Gen. Stephan Asks Support
of War Secretary and Com
missioners for Project.
UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS
OF 20 YEARS CITED
Letter Tells Public Works Admin
istfation Militia Here Has Been
Held Federal Institution.

An effort to secure construction {.
an armory for the District National
Guard out of funds III the hands of the
Federal Public Works Administration is
being made by Maj. Gen. Anton
Stephan, its commanding officer Gen.
Stephan has written the administration
asking that sum not to exceed S2,500.-
900 be set aside for this purpose He
also has solicited the support Of the
Secretary of War and the District Com
miSsioners.
Gen. Stephan in his letter to the Pub
lie Works Administration called atten-
ton to the fact that in the latest official
finding on the subject the District Ma
tional Guard is held to be a Federal
institution. He p-ints out however
that in the more than 20 years of un-
successful efforts to secure an armory
various officials have ruled the Guard
District or a Federal agency, as thc
exlgenc1eS Of the moment seemed t.
require.
Good Example Lacking.
The Federal Government ne pointed
out, requires the States to supply
adequate armory facilities for the State
National Guards, and yet it has thus
by doing in the Federal City what the
States are expected ID do in their OWL
territory.
His letter said in part:
In connection with proposals for the
Government building program at this
time, attention is invited 10 the status
OF the District Of Columbia National
Guard.
THE President is commander-in-c chief
of the Organized Militia National
Guard of the District of Columbia,
with the commanding general of the
Organized Militia responsible to him,
through War Department agencies. An
nual support for the Organized Militia
OF the District of Columbia is secured
through the Commissioners OF the Dis
trict of Columbia in the District of Co.
lumbia appropriation bill Decisions of
various governmental agencies have
been made from time to time to the
effect, either that the National Guard
Of the District of Columbia is an agency
of the Federal Government, or that the
National Guard is an agency of the Dis
trlct of Columbia government, as S -emed
to meet the needs Of the situation then
under consideration, although the At
torney General of the United States, in
a communication addressed to Reed
Smoot, chairman Of the Public Build
ings Commission, under date of June
8, 1925, held that the District of Co.
lumbia militia is an activity of the
national Government.
20 Years in Congress.
"The matter of providing adequate
armory facilities has been before Con-
gress for more than 20 years in one
form or another. Authorizations for the
erection of an armory have been ap-
proved by both Houses of Congress and
on one occasion was contained in a gen.
eral appropriation bill which was vetoed
by the President (Mr. TafD because of
other features of the bill. and not be-
caHee OF the inclusion of the armory
item.
"A site originally proposed for the
location OF an armory was that on the
south side of Constitution avenue be-
tween Sixth and Seventh streets. This
proposal was rejected in favor of a
memorial to be erected from other
than Government funds, but has not
been developed as such.
The Federal Government requires
the various States to furnish armory
facilities for instruction and storage
purposes for the National Guard. and
should set the example of what is
desired and required. rather than fail
in this respect in connection with the
one organization for which 1t is solely
responsible. The drill hall of such
building would be available for Fed
eral uses of national and international
character. as well as that for drill
purposes.
1T is recommended that a sum not
exceeding S2,500,000 be authorized for
the erection of such an armory. and
that such an armory be erected on
Government-owned ground within the
District of Columbia"