Evening star., 1936-05-17

tai Park and Planning Commission
has ruled against this. 1t was pointed
out by the militia officials that in
addition to site for the building
proper, it would be desirable that a
large plot of ground adjacent to the
building site be provided so that a
| parade ground would be available and
also space on which the Guard could
hold its athletic meets.
Reports by Regular Army officers who
conducted the inspections of armory
facilities and personnel during the
annual Spring tests are arriving at
headquarters from the War Depart
ment. Almost without exception, it
was asserted, they call attention to
the fact that the building in which
the troops are trained every week is
| dangerous to life and is a fire
hazard. They particularly call the at
tention Of the War Department to
| the fact that the Pennsylvania ave-
nue. armory is an old hotel building
constructed more than hundred
years ago. They also say that the
buildings are unsatisfactory for the
storage of hundreds of thousands of
dollars worth of field equipment
which the Army lends to the Guard for
training purposes, and which would
be used in the field should the troops
be called into the Federal service in
the event of the development of a
national emergency.
! During the recent wind and rain
| storms the wind took of part of the
smokestack at the Sixth Street Arm
ory, and, as all of the maintenance
funds for this year have been ex-
| hausted, the stack will have to be left
in a dangerous condition and at the
mercy of any other storms which
might occur. During the heavy rains.
water two feet deep rushed through
the cellar of the armory, coming
| from a source unknown as yet, but
| believed to be some subterranean
stream. Officials said, however, that
| so far as they could learn from pre-
! liminary inspections, the foundation
walls of the certury-old building have
not been damaged.
While several new units have been
organized here and have been accept
ed into the federal service, it was
| pointed out that they are without
| facilities for complete functioning.
| They need new lockers. shelving for
| the storage Of equipment and other
| material.
There is provision in the appropria-
ton bill now pending, and ofhclals
are hoping that the provision will
be left in so that the work can be
started on the new equipment.
Local officials are now in the midst
of making plans for the transporta-
ton of troops to the annual field
training sites this year. For the move
ment of the 260th Regiment of Coast
Artillery. commanded by Lieut.. Col.
Walter w. Burns, sufficient trucks
to move the entire regiment overland
to Fortress Monroe will be borrowed
from Maryland and Virginia.
Local Guard officials say that there
will be sufficient local transportation
for the movement of Company A,
372d Infantry but the big move
ment. which will be part Of the
mobilization of the 29th National
/ Guard Division at IndiantoWn Gap.
i Pa, will require the borrowing OF
IS trucks from the Regular Army.
( These, it is expected, will be fur
nished by the Army posts in the Vlcln-
! ity of Washington and by the quar-
termaster Detachment here. During
! this movement it will not be possible
! to get any of the trucks from the
! States of Maryland and Virginia, as
these organizations will need all of
their equipment for the movement
/ of their troops to the Indiantown
camp site.
The training schedules for the
camps are now being formulated by
! the various units, and when completed
will be sent to headquarters for CO.
ordination The division training will
consist of two problems, each 46
/ hours in duration. The first will be
a defense problem and the second an
attack problem, and both will be
started with long march by the
troops to the theater of operations.
They also will include night bivouac
by the troops.
Guard headquarters has rescinded
tentative plans for a parade of the
militia units here on May 80. as a
part of the Memorial day celebration
of the Grand Army of the Republic.
1t was pointed out that it has devel-
oped that many of the members OF
the various units have made plans to
participate in other memorial activi-
ties. while scores of others have made
plans to be out of the city. With this
information at hand, the officials
have decided that the Guard Will
not be able to turn out enough troops
to make a satisfactory showing.
The War Department Is making
plans for a test mobilization of troops.
including the National Guard. For the
purpose of the mobilization, no extra
funds will be allowed to any units.
The test suggested is for mobiliza-
ton of certain Regular Army troops,
and certain establishments which the
corps area commander is charged
with mobilizing in case of an enler-
gency and it is also suggested that
corps area commanders confer with
the adjutants general of the various
States as to the inclusion OF some
National Guard units in the plan.
The War Department has express
ed the hope that the States will CO.
operate in the test. In case Of the
militia the test will have to take
the place of regular drill. The
day of holding the test may or may not
coincide with the regularly scheduled
drill.
Pvt Sidney R. Dulin, inactive list,
Quartermaster Section, State De-
tachment, has been ordered trans.
ferred to the active list of the Head
quarters and Service Company, 12lst