Evening star., 1936-09-06
GUARDSMEN STORE
FIELD EQUIPMENT.
MiIitiamen Use Armory
Period to Clean Field
Impediments.


With the glamour of divisional war
training having passed into history,
the officers and men of the National
Guard of the District of Columbia
now have settled down for the next
few weeks to the more prosaic duties
Of mopping up and getting ready for
the strenuous period of armory drill
training which will lead to the annual
inspections in the Spring by Regular
Army officers.
The drill period now is being de-
voted to the cleaning Of the CRIME of
war" from the rifles which were used
for two weeks in the field under all
Kinds Of conditions and putting them
in the best of shape. There also Is
great mass of field equipment to be
examined and prepared for storage in
the warehouses at Camp Sims, Con-
gress Heights, D. c. 1t must be kept
in prime condition for field service and
be ready for the Regular Army inspec-
tions next year.
Incidentally, the Guard received in
StructionS from the War Department
during the week fixing the number of
ray drills during the coming year at 48.
The order stipulated that not more
than eight drills may be held during
8 any one month, and minimum of 10
drills per quarter must be held during
the second, third and fourth quarters
These limitations prevent Guard units
from punching their drills during one
period and then having none for other
carts of the year. The number of
Grills Is limited by the amount Of funds
appropriated by the War Department,
as each officer and man on the Guard
active list receives days pay for each
Grill attended during the year.
While the divisional maneuvers are
fresh in the minds OF the officers and
men, plans are already being discussed
IN the brigade headquarters for the
training of next year. Upon the final
decision as to the methods of training
Eext year will depend the amount OF
appropriations which must be sought
of Congress at the coming term in
January.
Although it is known that Maj. Gen.
Eeckord, commanding the National
Guard of Maryland, and the 29th Ma
tional Guard Division, which COM
Irises the National Guard troops of
this city and the States of Maryland
and Virginia, is desirous of having
another divisional mobilization, it will
lave to be discussed with the War De-
rartment authorities to ascertain
whether it is desirable to ask Congress
for the funds for such movement.
It is probable that there will be taken
into consideration the difference be-
tween the cost of individual camps
snd the assemblage Of the entire divi-
sion at one point. However, it was
rointed out that the troops in the
s:tates have to travel long distances
anyway to their State camps, and the
cost of sending them to divisional
camp would involve comparatively
little more.
Adjt. Gen. S. Gardner Waller has
been quoted as saying that the Vir-
Cinia National Guard would train in
the State next year, but expressed
the hope that when the next divisional
camp is held it be located in Virginia.
He pointed out that in order to ac-
commodate approximately 10000 men
in the division the State Of Virginia
would have to provide much larger
training area than the reservation at
Virginia Beach. He said the State
Inight be able to lease large area
in the western part of the State, pos
sibly in the vicinity Of Roanoke. to pro-
yide space enough for the entire divi-
sion.
Gen. Waller said that approximately
$1,000 day is spent to feed the divi-
sion, considerable part of it going to
local producers, and this is in addition
to other expenditures, which makes
the camp valuable in business sense
20 the locality in which it is held.
Virginia Beach, he said, is outstand-
ing in the recreation and entertain
ment it affords the citizen soldiers,
but the high prices asked for lands
adjacent to the present State reserva-
ton make it doubtful whether much
expansion can be expected there.
With the continual improvement in
the mechanization of the National
Guard, 1t was pointed out that trans
portation cost probably would be less
than by rail. Practically the entire
movement of the troops to the theater
Of operations this year was by motor
caravan. However, this year it was
necessary to borrow some of the equip
ment from the Regular establishment
and for some of the Guard units to
transfer their equipment temporarily
On the other hand, 1t Is believed that
additional motor equipment will be
supplied the Guard units as congress
sional funds become available, and
eventually the Guard units will be
able to move with their own equip
ment, without the necessity Of dou-
bling up with outside commands.
While the armory facilities Of the
local National Guard are most un-
satisfactory it does have excellent ia
cilities for the storage of number of
motor vehicles If the Army finds it
possible to allot any to the District
troops. Emergency funds were acquired
o couple of years ago with which the
Guard built large warehouse at the
Camp Simms range property, and a
large part of this is given up to space
for the storage of motor vehicles.
With the convening of Congress
only few months of, it Is probable
that the officers in the high command
will begin the preparations of cam
paign to have Congress appropriate
funds for the purpose Of building a
structure here suitable to the training
of the local Guard. Direct appeal to
Congress appears to be the only way
In which the local militiamen will get
what they desire, as so far the Public
Works Administration has frowned on
the Guard proposal for an ALLEGATION
of funds with which to construct a
building. At lease, no action was
taken on the request of the Guard, al