Evening star., 1934-09-23

W 1OrCS 10 nave SulIdDle
Y armory provided here for the
training of the units compos-
ing the National Guard Of the District
Of Columbia. Although a number of
them already are on record in favor
of such a project, 1t is probable that
concrete steps will be taken by num-
Der of them to get some action on
the various proposals for providing a
building here. Many Of the members
of the local veterans units are former
members of the National Guard. and
they realize the handicaps which face
the local citizen soldiers in getting
proper training throughout the year
for their duty in the field in the event
of a national emergency.
1t was one of the proposals of the
late Maj. Gen. Anton Stephan in his
efforts to obtain a suitable armory
here that it be constructed so as to
provide meeting places for the various
veteran organizations. 1t was the
plan to have the veterans units asso-
ciated closely with the units to which
many of them belonged before they
went away to war. 1t was for that
reason that he tried SO hard to have
the Pension Office Building in Judi
ciary square allocated to the Guard as
an armory, project which met with
general approval Of the veterans, in
cluding the G. A. r. 1t was con-
tended that the use of this building
for the training of the youth of the
city for war service would be fitting
r,oaponrio1 tn fhnSn uhn fn1Iohf
their country in time of national
conflict.
The structure Is declared to be
ideally constructed for transformation
into an armory, as the big court would
provide adequate drill space for the
troops to use during the inclement
weather in the Fall and Winter
months, something which they do not
now have in any of the buildings used
TO house them, and none of which can
be dignified under the name of
armory.
The main armory Of the local troops
now is the old National Hotel Build
ing at Sixth street and Pennsylvania
avenue. 1t is on site which event.
uall is to form a part of the proposed
municipal center. AS long as Congress
fails to provide a fund with which
to begin construction of buildings
there for the municipal government,
the Guard undoubtedly will be secure.
However, when the funds are provided
the District civil authorities will want
to get started on the construction
quickly and it will be up to the Guard
to seek new quarters, or rather for
the Public Buildings Office to find
them new space, as the Attorney
General has ruled that the local
militia is Federal organization. and
ernment to provide space. But there
is a scarcity Of buildings which can
be used for drill purposes, although
many of them could be fitted up for
company quarters.
An elaborate system of officers
schools has been ordered formed for
the Engineer Regiment by Col. John
w. Oehmann, commanding that unit
as well as being acting commander
for the local Guard, pending the ap-
pointment of a brigadier general to
succeed the late Gen. Stephan. In
addition to their regular drill night
on Tuesday of each week, the officers
of the Engineer Regiment will be re-
quired to attend an officers school
each Friday night.
The schedule is to provide for
some special subject to be taken up
on each drill night, the lecture to be
delivered by an officer of the Engineer
Regiment, who will be given time in
which to thoroughly prepare his sub
ject. In this way, all of the officers
will be given an opportunity to OBJ
tain thorough training in giving in
Struction.
Following the delivery of the for
NAL lecture, the meetings will be
thrown open to general discussion of
the subject of the lecture, after which
Col. Oehmann will conduct a cri-
tique. The system of officers schools,
it was said at National Guard head
quarters, was given thorough trial
during the armory training period
last year, and from the viewpoint of
the officers of the Engineer Regiment
it was said to have worked out salts
factorily for the officers of that unit.
Instructions have been sent out to
the heads of the various units con-
corning the submission of target
practice reports for the season which
officially ended with the close of the
annual encampments. However, it
was pointed out that supplementary
period is allowed subsequent to this
to permit those who have not quail
fed during the season to try to do
so. This period was officially closed
on September Is, and the reports are
due before the end of the month.
Lieut.. Lesion r. Fate, 26oth Coast
Artillery, an employe of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, who is on duty
at a Civilian Conservation Corps
camp in Connecticut, in a civilian
capacity, has been granted an extern
sion of his leave of absence from mill
tary duties until November 80, next,
it was announced at National Guard
headquarters.
In order that the District of Co.
lumbia Guard units may have a COM
plete outfit of serviceable property
by the time of the annual inspections
by Regular Army officers, the various
units have been instructed to make
surveys of the property allotted to
them.
1t is the purpose, it was said, to
so train the property officers of the
regiment to look ahead in the matter
Of equipment and, instead of putting
in requisitions at frequent intervals,
whenever they see the need of prop
erty, to make one job of the whole
matter and keep their property up
to the minute at all times. Following
an encampment usually there is a
large amount of property which be-
came unserviceable during the field
training period and it was considered
that would be the best time of the
year to make the surveys and give
ample time to the property officers
to obtain shipments before the annual
inspections. The officers have been