Evening star., 1936-01-12

the matter directly to the President
and obtain his approval
So far as officials here recall, the
matter Of erecting an armory here
for the National Guard has never
been presented to any Chief Executive
for approval, but they are willing to
lay the matter directly at his door,
step, if they are prevented from going
to Congress without obtaining his ap-
proval.
This, of course, brings to the fore
again the importance of having a
commanding general free to act for
the Guard in matters of this kind.
Certain officials of the Guard are
employees of the District, as militia
officials. The present commanding
officer, while not an enlploye in the
militia as a District official, is the
local building inspector and directly
under the Commissioners. The ad-
jutant general Of the Guard is a
Federal Army officer, detailed here
for that duty for a certain term.
However, if a cor l4aanding general
is appointed he would be free to seek
aid for the Guard without submitting
to governmental orders of the kind
issued by the Budget Bureau. Further.
If an outstanding civic leader were
selected he could easily obtain the
backing Of civic bodies for any prof.
| ects he believed necessary to improve
the efficiency of his organization.
The militia officials here have not
disclosed their plans for obtaining an
armory from the present Congress,
and what have been made probably
will be held in allegiance until more
information is obtained as to whether
the budget order applies to them.
They tried for several years to get a
public works ALLEGATION of funds for
the project, but this apparently died
natural death in the files of that
governmental agency. Not only do
the officials need money for the con-
struction of building, they will need
money for site unless Congress sees
/ fit TO provide a site already govern
mentally owned. This is necessary
| because the NatioIal Capital Parks
office has ruled that it does not have
authority to assign a site for an
armory, and the planning commission
has rejected proposal that the Guard
| build its armory on the site selected
for city stadium at the eastern end
Of East Capitol street.
| The proposal to construct a new
building for the general accounting
Office has brought to the attention of
the Guard prospects Of obtaining the
Pension Office Building in Judiciary
Square, now occupied by the general
accounting Office. as an armory. The
/ Guard officials have had their eyes
on this for several years. and it is
declared that it is ideally suited for
such purposes. 1t was erected as a
memorial to the soldiers of the Civil
War. and it was pointed out that it
would be fitting to turn it over to
the Guard to train young men.
Plans are being made for the an
nual inspections. New report forms
were received at the armory this week,
and it was said that they require more
NCboAA lA4o44 CNCA OCAOAC. "4AAAC IA4C Al
spections, it was said, will not be made
this year by the inspector instructors
assigned by the Army to the Guard,
there is a question, yet undecided. as
to whether the inspections will be
made by Regular of1cerSs sent here
from other areas, or be made by Army
officers on duty in Washington and
whose duties are not in any way con-
nected with militia activities.
1t was announced that the 2sth
Division staff, headed by Maj. Gen.
Milton A. Reckord. will hold a mill
tary conference at Richmond. Va, the
latter part of the month. The tenta-
tive date selected is January IS.
At that time members of the staff
from this city and all parts of Mary
land and Virginia will gather to dis
cuss division problems. and particu-
larly the tentative plans for mobili-
zation of the division as unit during
the training camp period this Sum-
mer. If the plans are approved by
the War Department, it will be the
first time the division has been as
sembled as one unit, as the plans and
programs were blasted last year when
an epidemic of infantile paralysis
caused the State of Pennsylvania to
prohibit the mobilization of the troops
at the site selected at Mt. Gretna, Pa.
Some improvements and mainte-
nance work is expected to be started
at the Pennsylvania avenue armory
shortly. They include painting and
plastering and other repairs. 1t was
said that nothing has been done to
the building since the Guard entered
it in 1880.
Twenty-seven enlisted men ap-
peared before a board of examination
last week for the purpose Of taking
tests, which, if they pass, will place
them on an eligibility list from which
selections will be made from time TO
time to fill vacancies in the commits
stoned ranks.
They are: Master Sergt. Edward D.
Mulvanity, Headquarters Detachment,
. special 1TOOpS, GStIl OINlolOlIp Quail
Sergt. Charles L. Rust, Headquarters
Detachment. Special Troops. 29th Di-
vision: First Sergt. Calvin M. Pente-
cost. Battery E, 260th Coast Artillery;
Sergt Harry Gaberman, Company F,
12lst Engineers; Sergt. Robert G. Nc
Kee, Battery E, 26oth Coast Artillery;
Sergt. John r. Payne, Battery c,
26oth Coast Artillery; Sergt. Robert E.
Shanahan, Company D, 121st Engi-
neers; Sergt. Carson M. Howell, Bat
terry A, 260th Coast Artillery: Sergt
Walter c. Kerlin, Headquarters De-
tachment, goth Division; Sergt. Julian
A. Walker, Battery B. 260th Coast
Artillery; Sergt. Henry D. Green Sd,
Company E, 12lst Engineers; Sergt
Raymond o. Watson, Battery z, 260th
Coast Artillery; Corpl. Donald H
Millar, Company D, 121st Engineers;
Corpl. Russell MacMahon, 29th Mill
tary Police Company; Corpl. Walter
c. vadney. Battery A, 26oth Coast
Artillery: Pvt First ClaSS) George v,