Evening star., 1935-05-12
- IRST-HAND study Of the area
in which the District Of Co
lumbia National Guard as a
mart of the 2oth Division will

in which the District Of Co
lumbia National Guard as
part of the 29th Division will
operate this Summer during
the gigantic field maneuvers Of the
1st Army will be made by division
staff officers May II and l8, it was
learned at division headquarters here
during the week. The study will
be made under the general direction
of Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord,
adjutant general of the National
Guard of Maryland and commander
of the 29th National Guard Division.
Gen. Reckord has issued call for
all the members Of his immediate
staff, as well as the heads Of separate
units which will take part in the
campaign, to be at Harrisburg on
May II. There, on that evening,
will be conference on the
plans, as far as they have been an
nounced at that time, and on the
following day the military party will
60 to Mount Gretna, Pa, which, ac-
cording to plans at this time, will
be the base of the 29th Division.
There they will study the camp site
and the general terrain, which will
form the basis Of further conferences
in preparation for the greatest move
ment and concentration of militia
since the World War While the
troops of this area will be located
in the Mount Gretna area, their op-
erations will be part of the 1st Army
campaign, which will be directed
from headquarters at Pine Camp,
N. Y.
There are many details to be
worked out between now and the
time for the mobilization, and the
officers are desirous of getting as
much first-hand information as pos
sible before the main movement of
troops is started. While it was
planned earlier in the year to have
mobilization of the 29th Division
in Pennsylvania, and to make the
concentration by motor train, using
vehicles Of the 28th Division of Penn
sylvania, the 1st Army plans will
preclude this. Now the local officers
are not yet certain how the move
ment of local troops will be made,
as there are not sufficient motor
overland. A recent act of Congress
stopped the use of vehicles built prior
to 1920, by prohibiting the use of
funds for repair, operation or mainte-
nance on any Of them. 1t is likely
that the major movement from this
area finally will have to be made
by railroad, unless the Army can find
sufficient vehicles to move the troops
by motor.
The local officers who will 60 over
the camp site at Mount Gretna tht
week will be Col. John w. Oehmann
commanding the 121st Engineers, tht
divisional engineer unit; Lieut.. Col
Peyton G. Nevitt, divisional adjutant
Maj. William T. Roy, commanding the
divisional special troops, and Capt
Fletcher F. Bernsdorff, division quar-
terniaster.
1t is the desire of the local Guart
officials to take units to camp with
their ranks completely filled to thu
limit set by the War Department, anc
for that reason men now on the active
list who are certain, because of busi.
ness reasons will not be able to go Il
camp, are being urged to apply fol
transfer to the inactive list so tha
their places can be filled. There ar,
some men on the inactive list, it wa:
said, who will be able to participate
in the maneuvers and they vii
again be returned to the active list
EIny1yauor ~ acSnrtad that thor,
will be need for number of addi
tional new men, and every effort i
being made to recruit them for thi!
duty. However, under War Depart
ment restrictions, these enlistment
must be completed prior to 60 day
before the Guard starts for tn,
| theater of operations. 1t was salt
that this is more important this yea
than heretofore, as the operation!
there will be no time for the purpose
! of segregating recruits to learn tht
rudiments of military life. They vii
have to have sufficient armory train.
! ing before they take to the field, 81
that they can be assured of keeping
their place i, the ranks during tht
main operations. Furthermore, i
was said, that not only does a large
number of recruits in camp reduc,
the ranks of the various units, but il
hampers the operations because i
takes away much needed non-com
missioned officers for instruction
| work.
AS soon as the conference at Har'
| risburg is completed this week it L
expected that the officers will return
here and Immediately launch into th'
work of preparing the multitudinou
details necessary to a smooth work
| ing of the war machine when it get!
into the field.
Capt. Claude Burlingame has beer
ordered placed on the retired list O.
the Guard with the advanced ranl
of major. This recommendation wa
made by Col. John w. Oehmann be-
| cause of the meritorious services O.
Capt. Burlingame, veteran of man!
years of service in the Guard, be-
cause of his duty on the Mexican
border and in the World War.
Several officers of the local guart
went to Charlottesville last week fo
the purpose of witnessing the maneu
vers there. They are: Col. John w
Oehmann, Lieut.. Col. Julian S. Oliff
Maj. Sidney Morgan and Chaplain
Arthur L. Smith.
Adjutants general of the militia O
the various States held conference
here during the week to discuss Ma
tional Guard problems. The loca
guard was represented by Col. Georg'
L. Byroade and Lieut.. Col. Peyton G
Nevitt.
Maj. Gen George E. Leach: chief o.
the National Guard Bureau, in ad
dressing the State officers, spoke
among other things. on the motoriza'
ton program, during the course o
which he said:
"It is clear that our policy OF motor
ization and mechanization has alread!
produced results that far outweigh
any disadvantages. Furthermore, it Il
beginning to appear that our moto
the bill recently passed by both Houses
| Co. the iy,,p,o odiata 1inlIidati0n Of thI