Evening star., 1935-10-27
THE hope of the National Guard
of the District of Columbia
that a new and model armory
L would be provided out of some

of the District OF Columbia
that a new and model armory
l. would be provided out of some
of the federal governments large al
lotments of works funds has appar-
emily gone into the background for
another year. 1t is probable that the
quarter-of f-a-century-o fight will
have to be renewed when the next
| Congress is convened. 1t appears now
that the site selected at the eastern
terminus of East Capitol street is not
available for such building. as it
will be entirely needed in connection
with the proposed stadium, and that
Congress will have to authorize site,
together with the funds necessary for
the construction of a building.
In the meantime, the Guardsmen
will have to continue taking their in
door Winter training in the dilap-
idated quarters which for scores of
years served as hotel on lower
Pennsylvania avenue. They are now
crowded in these make-shift quarters,
according to officers of the Guard, and
they are likely to be cramped further,
If the War Department decides to
allot to the District of Columbia GER
tain divisional troops which are to
be formed out of the authorized in
crease of 5000 enlisted personnel for
the Guard Of the whole country While
officials say that if the units are
authorized here. they will find some
way to house them, but the quarters
will be cramped, and the drill space
will be very limited AS matter of
| fact, there is practically no drill hall
space in the present armory, and,
except in very warm weather, the in
struction has to be confined almost
wholly to company and class room
work.
When the Public Works first an
nounced that it would receive appli-
cations for public projects. the local
Guard officials, then headed by the
late Maj. Gen. Anton Stephan. made
application for a fund of $2500,000
for the provision of an armory which
would be BETTING the troops of the
! National Capital, which are a fed
| cl dllEcu ulllllld.
The District of Columbia Com
missioners. to aid the cause, assigned
site at the Industrial Home School
on Wisconsin avenue. provided it re-
ceiVed the approval of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commis-
sion. However, that organization de-
cided that it was not the proper place
for an armory and rejected it. The
planning commission then tentatively
decided on the East Capitol street
site and considered it in connection
with the stadium project, but in the
final analysis of the proposition, the
armory plan was rejected because it
was decided that the proposed devel-
opment in connection with the
stadium would require all of the land,
This left the matter in the air
again, as there is no official with au-
thority to assign a site for the project,
and it will be necessary to again go
to Congress with the entire PROPOSE
ton. that is provision for a site and
the funds with which to construct
building after the site is provided.
So far as could be learned at lie
militia headquarters here, nothing has
yet been done in the matter of pre-
pairing tentative legislation for
prompt introduction in Congress when
it convenes for its next term.
Various sites have been selected at
various times for an armory here, but
all of them have been taken by other
projects in the years that the Guards
Congress of the need of a suitable
armory here for the training of
troops. A site was originally selected
at Sixth street and Constitution ave-
nue.. and sketch plans were even
made for the building. But Congress
subsequently gave this site for the
George Washington Memorial and
foundation for the building was laid.
but nothing more has been done
about it. Then a site on Constitution
avenue between Twelfth and Four
teenth streets. was selected, but this
now is to go to the Mellon Art Gal
lery. Later the Public Buildings Com
Pennsylvania avenue and c street, |
and Thirteenth and Fourteenth |
streets. However. this now is occupied |
by the new Post Office Department
Building.
There is a hope that the National
Guard Association at its annual con-
vention will again take definite steps |
to see that an armory is provided for
the District of Columbia troops. Maj |
Walter w. Burns. commanding the |
260th Coast Artillery. is attending the
as a delegate from the |
local militia, and it is likely that he |
will make some effort to have the |
do something definite in
the way of assisting the voteless Dis
trict citizen soldiers to provide a
building in which they may receive
their training which will fit them for
service with the colors of their coun-
try in the field In time of national
The 260th Coast Artillery foot ball
team today will go to Frederick, Md,
to play a team there, and many
Guardsmen from other units are ex-
pected to make the trip to root for
the District militiamen.
The plans for the camps for the
local militia together with the esti-
mates of the cost of transportation to
the sites and the operations incident
thereto have been sent to the Sd
Corps Area. So far no announcement
has been made as to the proposed
places at which training will be taken
this year. However, it was said that
this is the first time that the plans
for camps and the estimates have
been called for by the Army at the
same time.
1t is probable that the matter of
another divisional encampment is be-
ing considered, in view of the fact
that the infantile paralysis scare
prevented the divisional assembly of
the 29th Division last Summer. It is
known to be Maj. Gen. Milton A.
Reckord's plan to make an effort
10 have the entire division assembled