Evening star., 1936-12-27
w YHILE drills fo& the National
XA/ Guard of the District of
w Columbia have been sus-

w YHlLE drills for the National
M Guard of the District of
wv Columbia have been sus-
pended during the holiday
period. plans are being formulated for
the Inauguration of strenuous period
of training soon after the beginning
of the new year. When the drills are
resumed the troops not only will have
facing them the coming inspections
before Regular Army officers, but they
will begin preparations for their an
nual field training. This latter is ex-
pected to take them to individual
camps, the largest unit, the 12lst
Regiment Of Engineers, to go to Camp
Albert c. Ritchie, according to present
plans.
OF considerable moment Is the
armory question, which is expected to
get into Congress soon after it opens.
Just how 1t will be brought to the
attention Of the legislators that the
citizen soldiers of the District are
getting their training under the most
trying and unappreciative conditions
has not yet been determined
While local militia officials have ap-
preciated the support given the move
ment by War Department officers, it
was pointed out for more than a quar-
ter Of century the recommendations
for new armory have been endless.
Almost every Army inspector who has
put the local troops through their an
nual tests have called attention to
the terrible armory facilities and this
has been followed by the recommends
tions of higher officials that a model
armory be built.
The officers have withheld their
recommendations until they get some
inkling of what the Federal Relations
Committee will recommend. The men,
bers Of this committee have conferred
with Guard officials, and have been
told the entire history of the efforts to
get an armory here, but there has been
no committal statement from the in
vestigating group.
The armory problem is becoming
quite acute. Not only have the num-
Der of organizations been increased in
the District of Columbia, but there is
a prospect that the War Department
will assign further units here next
year When assigned, the local Of
ficials will Immediately begin recruit
ing to complete the organizations. and
this will aggravate an already serious
and crowded armory condition.
/ While many States were given funds
with which to construct armories. out
of the public works funds, the District
was neglected, because Of the fact
that it has to depend on Congress tc
take up its problems. The funds OF
I the public works had to be used en-
/ tirely for construction, and the Dis
trict did not have a site. In order to
/ get any public works funds, the Dis
trict officials must first get the au-
thority of Congress to either assign a
site on land already owned by the
/ Government or allocate funds with
which to purchase site.
| The I2lst Regiment of Engineers is
crowded into small rooms in an ole
hotel building at Sixth street anc
Pennsylvania avenue, and if more
troops are assigned here next year, a!
is expected, the matter of housing vii
become a serious one to the local Off
cials who have taken every possible
move to convince Congress and the
administration that something should
be done for the local troops.
/ District authorities believe the Fed
| eral Government should provide al
the funds, and the District fund:
should not be allotted. On the othel
hand. to the War Department it i.
viewed as in the same status as g