Evening star., 1936-03-29
New Militia Units Will Be
Mustered In This Week
Three New Commands Are Scheduled to
Be Added to Guard-Others
to Follow
w YASHTNGTCN'S Natio nal
M Guard will be materially
Wv increased this week when
three new units are Sched-

" " increased this week When
three new units are sched-
uled to be federal!y recognized at
formal exercises, to be held in the
main armory at Sixth street and Penn
sylvania avenue. In addition, other
units are 10 be organized In the 260th
Coast Artillery, which will bring that
to regimental status.
The Sd Corps Area had set the date
for the Federal recognition cere-
monies for next Wednesday. How
ever, as the regular drill night for the
Guard is Tuesday night, request has
been made that the Federal muster be
held at that time, and II Is expected
that this request will be granted.
The units which have been suffi-
GENTLY recruited to warrant this step
are the 1l3th Motor Transport Com
pany, Quartermaster Corps, which has
been organized under the direction Of
Capt. Fletcher F. Bernsdorff, and the
Headquarters Company, 29th National
Guard Division. and the Medical De-
tachment, Special Troops, 29th Di-
vision, organized under the direction
of Mai William T. Roy, commanding
the divisional troops in this jurisdic-
ton.
The local units which are being
added to the local brigade are part
of the 5000 increase in enlisted
strength which was authorized by the
last Congress and the number is being
distributed to various Guard organiza-
tions in the States 10 form organlza-
tions which have been authorized for
years under the tables Of organization
but which have not been formed be-
cause of the lack of funds with which
to pay the troops.
In connection with the order for
the muster of the troops the Sd Army
Corps Headquarters at Baltimore, Md .
authorized the formation of a new
board of examination to conduct tests
for the officers who are to be assigned
TO the new companies and detach-
ments. This board held session last
Friday night and was composed OF
Col. R. P. Lemly, U. S. Army, senior
instructor assigned to the local Guard;
Mai. William T. Roy and First Lieut..
E. j. c. Hildenbrand, Medical Corps.
The board is expected to have its re-
port ready in time for the new officers
to be mustered when the units are
taken into the Federal service.
No date has as yet been set for the
formation or muster of the machine
gun battery to be added to the 260th
Coast Artillery and the Headquarters
Detachment and Combat Train, also
to be assigned to that unit. 1t is un-
derstood that the units are ready for
muster, and date will be set within
a short time. When the new machine
gun battery is mustered, 1t, together
with the one which was organized
some time ago, will be formed into a
machine gun coast artillery battalion.
and the Headquarters Detachment and
Combat Train will De for that unit.
With the completion of this organ
ization, it is probable that Lieut.. Col.
Walter w. Burns will be promoted to
the rank of colonel. However. it was
said at local headquarters that this will
not be determined until examination
has been made of the tables of organ
iZation to ascertain whether enough
units have been formed in the regiment
to warrant the promotion. 1t was
pointed out that the regulations say
that a colonel and regimental staff
officers will be named for regiment
will be authorized when IS per cent of
the companies or units in particular
regiment are formed and federally
recognized. Steps will be taken this
week to make a check to ascertain
whether the additional Coast Artillery
units will bring it within this author
ity. If it is found that it does, it was
indicated that steps will be taken
promptly to provide for the promotions
and the commissioning Of new officers
to fill up the vacancies which will be
created by the promotions.
Despite these active steps to increase
the size of the local Guard. the efforts
to have the vacancy of commanding
general here have apparently run into
a stone wall. The chief Of staff OF
the Army has written the Washington
Board of Trade, which moved to bring
about the appointment, that the tables
of organization do not provide for a
brigadier general here.
However, officers who have made a
study of National Guard laws and
regulations, point out that the posi-
ton of commanding general Of the
National Guard of the District of Co.
lumbia is recognized in the national
defense act. In five distinct places
where it requires the Governors of the
various States to do certain things in
connection with the Militias of those
States, when the troops Of the Dis
trict of Columbia are referred to the
law directs that the acts be performed
by the commanding general.
In this connection it was pointed
out that such acts as are directed by
the national defense act to be per-
formed by the commanding general
cannot be performed now as there is
no commanding general. 1t was added
that since the death of Maj. Gen. An
ton Stephan, the affairs of the local
Guard have been directed by the senior
officer. who is the commanding officer
of the Guard and not the commanding
general as the law directs. The ques-
ton has been raised as to whether a
commanding officer of unit, serving
as such by virtue of his seniority, can
legally perform the duties which are
statutorily required to be done by a
commanding general. 1t was said that
the statute is very plain in this re-
gard.
In one case the law directs that the
United States property and disbursing
officer be appointed by the command
ing general. However. the present Off
Ger assigned by this task was named
by the then commanding general. Maj.
Gen. Stephan. Since his death the
appointment has been continued. 1t
was suggested that test might be
made in the event that new officer
was appointed, through the office OF
1A-I