Evening star., 1936-10-25
GUARD SUPPORTED
|NARM0RY PLAN
National Association Urges
Erection of New Build
ina Here.

The matter Of armory needs Tor
the National Guard Of the District OF
Columbia was taken up again last
week by the National Guard Associa.
ton of the United States at its annual
convention. The convention recon-
mended action by the President OF the
United States and Congress looking to
the erection of an arrnory for the local
troops.
It was pointed out that the asSocia-
tion has long realized the need for an
armory in the District OF Columbia
and for a number of years has made
recommendations for such program.
It was added, however, that the action
taken at this years convention is dill
ferent, in that it recognizes the direct
responsibility of the President and the
Congress of the United States in the
matter of housing the local Militia.
The resolution said that the District
of Columbia National Guard, being
the only National Guard organization
in the country for which the Congress
OF the United States is solely respon-
sible, should be provided with such
sites and armories at the next session
of the Congress of the United States
without reference to any other build
ing or armory programs which may
be presented to the Congress. 1t fur
ther said that the President of the
United States, as Commander in Chief
~ fha fric nf
Guard, is respectfully requested to
recommend to the Congress the enact
ment of legislation to provide sites
and armories for the District of Co.
lumbia National Guard.
The resolution directed that the
officers and executive council of the
association take such action as is
necessary to aid in the accomplish
ment Of the objective Of the resolution.
Similar action has been recon-
mended before by the convention, and
the Legislative Committee was at one
time directed to take steps to aid
the District people to get adequate
However, nothing ever came of it, and
those who have been following the
efforts to obtain suitable housing
facilities expressed the hope that the
political weight and influence of the
, association will be thrown behind
efforts this year which are expected
to be made in Congress to obtain
specific legislation providing for a
site and for construction of the neceS-
sary buildings.
Strenuous efforts were made by
officers of the Guard during the time
that public works funds were being
distributed to have an allotment of
S2,500000 made for the District for
armory purposes. However, little was
heard from this after the District
Commissioners approved it, except
that it was learned unofficially that as
there was no site available, and the
public works money had to be spent
only for labor and materials, it could
not be made. Further efforts were
made to have the National Capital
Parks Office allot Federal site, but
even this was headed off when that
Office ruled that it could not assign
public sites for this purpose and that
the site should be allocated by Con-
gress or private land should be pur-
chased for such.
With the force of the National
Guard association behind them, 1t Is
expected that the officers of the local
Guard will move on Congress during
the coming session and attempt to
convince the legislators that the mat
ter of housing for the troops and their
material cannot be put of much fur
ther, because of the condition of the
buildings, and the fact that they may
find themselves out of their present
quarters at any time. The largest
unit of the Guard is now occupying
the old National Hotel Building, which
was acquired by the District as a part
of the site of the proposed municipal
center. And even now it is being pro-
posed that this part of the site be
resold, as it is believed not needed
in the light of adjusted plans that
have been made.
The buildings are said to be in
very bad condition, and the coming
Winter may prove costly, as it is diff
cult to protect the thousands of dol
lars worth of material which is loaned
by the War Department to the local
troops for training purposes. The
Coast Artillery, for instance, has many
tractors, guns and searchlights on
specially built trucks. These are
housed in temporary, corrugated iron
buildings on the Washington Channel
water front. 1t has been difficult to
maintain them in the highest state
Of preservation, and in many places
sections of the roof are off, allowing
water and snow to pour onto the
apparatus. The local troops have no
permanent place in the city where
they can store this material. With
the increase in the strength of the
Guard, and particularly the Coast Ar
tillery Regiment. that outfit has out
grown its present quarters, which were
built for naval contingent when that
outfit was part of the National
Guard. It is small and entirely insult
able for the present size of the regi-
ment.
The Engineer troops and the
divisional troops. located in the hotel
building, have also valuable equipment
which Is stored on the upper floors
between annual field encampments.
It was said that officers and Gus
todians on duty at the armory have
to stop their regular work in times
OF heavy rains to haul large and heavy
tarpaulins to throw over the material.
They cannot keep the water from
coming into the building.
AS the National Guard Association
pointed out, the local militia is the
only Federalized militia in the coun-
try, and it Is the duty of the Federal
Government to provide it with quar-
ters. In the States. the units are un-
der the State governments, and many
Of these have obtained hundreds of
thousands Of dollars in public grants