Evening star., 1936-12-13
GUARD MAY LOSE
PRESENT ARM0RY
District Commissioners Pro-
pose to Sell Site of Hotel
Building.

The proposal Of the District OF Co
lumbia Commissioners that the square
bounded by Fourth and Sixth streets
and Pennsylvania avenue and Q street
be sold to the Federal Government
and the funds received for 1t be ap-
piled to the construction Of the pro-
posed municipal center in the squares
north of @ street has set officials Of
the local militia studying the problem
Of how they would be affected. The
armory, which houses the largest con-
tingent Of District troops, Is housed
In the old National Hotel Building,
which is in this square.
Should the proposal be approved by
Congress and the buildings razed 1t
would leave the District troops with
out home. although they have for
seen such q contingent for years and
have conducted . quarter of Q CEN
tury fight to have Congress provide
funds for the construction Of build
ing. Should the local troops receive
their moving orders, 1t would again
raise the question as to whether the
Federal Government or the District
is responsible for finding them home.
The question has been q much-dis-
cussed one. There has been little
doubt as to their Federal status as
troops, but when it comes to recon-
mending funds for an armory or ap-
proving a project, both the Federal
Government and the District pass the
issue. each contending that it is the
problem Of the other.
However, for several years the Fed
eral Government has taken the re-
sponsibility while it has had buildings
available. The Attorney General has
ruled that the local Guard Is such q
Federal activity as to come under the
jurisdiction Of the National Capital
Parks ofiice in the matter of providing
space such as it provides for Federal
activities. But there has always been
some building, howsoever unsatisfac-
tory 1t might be for armory purposes,
which would be assigned the Guard.
When the ruling first was made, the
Guard was assigned to one of the old
Government hotel buildings on the
Union Station plaza, but when these
were razed to make way for improve
ment Of the Capitol plaza, the Guard
was assigned to the old hotel build
Ing which has been recently acquired
for the proposed Municipal Center,
but the site for which was not re-
quired as there were no funds for
construction.
AS there are no funds In sight for
beginning the construction Of this
project. the Commissioners, cognizant
Of the need Of getting along with such
a project to provide needed facilities
for District government activities are
willing to cut their original plans and
sell this property in order to get
money with which to start the build
Ing. The matter, however, will have
to be approved by Congress.
Guard officials are holding back any
recommendations until they receive
some information as to what the Com
mittee on Fiscal Relations, now study
ing the District-Federal Government
financial status, will recommend. The
Guards troubles have been laid be-
fore this committee by Col. John w.
Oehmann, commanding the local
Guard. but no intimation has been
received as to the viewpoint Of the
committeeman on this question.
The point is raised that if the Com
missioner's proposal goes to Congress,
the Guard ofiicials, even without sup
port, will have to present the serious
ness of their housing problem. They
will have to have funds for a site,
unless Congress authorizes the use Of
ground already owned by the Govern
ment. and also funds for the construc-
ton of building, which would be de-
signed for its particular use. In its
whole history the local Guard has
never had satisfactory armory
building. having for years used various
rented buildings in all parts of the
city. Even at the present time the
Guard activities are scattered in vari-
GUS buildings, none Of which was con-
structed for armory purposes and only
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