Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-01-26
Lack of Site Reported
Holding Up Armory Plan
National Guard Officials Expected to Make
Public Building Program
This Week.
ACK Of . site appears to be the
chock which Is holding up the

7 ACK Of . site appears to be the
chock which Is holding up the
prospects of an armory for
- the National Guard at this
time, and it Is expected that during
the coming week Col. John w. Och
mann, commanding the local militia,
will make public some definite plans
for acquiring a site and building 10
adequately house the the local citizen
soldiers.
In conformity with a resolution
ADOPTED by the recent annual conven-
ton Of the National Guard Associa-
ton of the United States. q special
armory committee has been at work
working out an armory program for
the entire country, it was said. While
the program is progressing and sew
eral armories have been authorized
for certain States, to be built par
TALLY with public works funds, it
was said that they are in States
where a portion Of the money for
the structure, and site has been
provided. As the District of Co.
lumbia has been unable to obtain
q site. it appears that this will keep
the committee from being able to OBJ
tain funds for structure.
The District Guard authorities,
headed by Col. Oehmann, have been
working diligently on an armory prop
oeition, and it was said at the head
quarters that it is expected to have a
definite plan ready this week. 1t is
probable that this will consist of a
definite program which can be sub
mitted direct to Congress. 1t would
include the provision of site and
recommend funds for beginning the
construction Of a building, tentative
plans for which have already been
drawn.
The National Parks Office here has
decided that it has no authority to
designate site for q Guard armory,
and that Congress would have to act
on the matter. The tentative site
which was selected for an armory
at the eastern terminus of East Capt.
toll street was definitely rejected by
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, which decided that
this site was to be used for the de-
veIopment of city stadium for ath-
letic and other contests and displays.
While the District appears to be
barred from obtaining funds as a
result of the work of the Guard
Association Committee, it is the hope
of Col. Oehmann and the other Guard
officers that Congress will recognize
the disability under which the Guard
is functioning at the present time
and give the local citizen soldiers
armory relief.
The armory matter will become in
creasingly acute during the next sew
eral months with more units to be
taken care of, when the new units
will be formed here. Recruiting for
these units now is going on and a
numbe- of men already have been en-
listed. Although they have not been
officially mustered into the Federal
service, they are being placed on the
inactive list, designated to be assigned
to the new units as soon as the OFF,
cial muster order comes through.
Capt. Fletcher F. Bernsdorff is re-
cruiting for the 18th Motor Trans
port Company, and there are still a
number Of vacancies. Men desiring to
enter this branch of the service may
apply at the Sixth Street Armory
for enlistment, to Capt. Bernsdorf.
While the latter will not command the
company. when it is ready for muster,
the command belonging to a first
lieutenant, nevertheless, the details
are being handled by the captain at
this time. Quarters will have to be
found for this outfit, and although
the armories are cramped now, some
place will be found for them, in the
hope that Congress will legislate arm
ory relief at this session.
Mai. Just c. Jensen, head of the
Ordnance Department Of the local
Guard, and in charge of rifle practice.
has announced that the District Guard
team is anxious to obtain competitions
with other units in this city and
vicinity Matches will be shot either
in the local Guard indoor range or
on the range Of any competitor.
Matches can be arranged by adj
dressing Maj. Jensen at the Sixth
Street Armory, it was announced.
Five officers from the local Guard
went to Richmond, Va, yesterday to
in the 29th Division Con-
ference of staff officers, headed by
Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord of Mary
land, commanding that division. The
officers from here are Col. John w.
Oehmann, division engineer; Maj.
william T. Roy, commanding the 29th |
Division Special Troops; Maj. Sidney |
Morgan, Inspector Generals Depart
ment: Capt. Fletcher F. Bernsdorff,
Department, and Lieut..
Col. Peyton G. hewitt, division adju-
tant.
It was learned that it has been ten
tatively decided to have division
this year at Indiantown
Gap, Pa, the site selected for the
last year, but which was
halted by the refusal of Pennsylvania
to allow the 29th Division troops to
enter the State on account of the in
fantile paralysis epidemic in Virginia.
The conference yesterday considered
the matter of transportation, as 1t is
the purpose, in so far as motor equip
ment is available, to send all of the