Evening star., 1936-01-19
.HE 12lst Regiment of Engineers
OF the National Guard OF the
District OF Columbia will mark

District Of Columbia will marx
- its 18th anniversary Oh Febru-
Ary 5 next, that Is - years ago 1t was
given Federal recognition. It also WILL
be the 18th anniversary of the COM
missioning of Col John w. Oehmann
as a colonel Of engineers and MS as
signment to command the outf1t. Col.
Oehmann, In addition to his duty as
commander of the regiment. Ior
nearly two years has been acting COM
mander of the local Guard, having as
sumed head Of the organization upon
the death of Maj. Gen. Anton Stephan.
(which left the local outfit without q
commanding general.
An announcement from the Guard
says that "The District of Columbia
National Guard Athletic Association
has deemed this a fitting time to cele-
brate this occasion with repetition
of the outstanding exhibition Of box
ing as presented by the National
Guard boxing team on January g."
It also was announced that Coach
Matt Twomey and Master Sergt.
Adam G. Mouton are arranging an
excellent card to be presented on that
night, Mai. William T. Roy, COM
manding the Special Troops. 29th
Division, will act as master OF cere-
monies.
On that night special section OF
the arena seats in the armory will be
reserved for officers and men Of the
National Guard.
The Guard does not now have COM
manding general, the vacancy having
been left open following the death OF
Gen. Stephan, although the law makes
1t mandatory, according to those
familiar with 1t, on the President to
appoint commanding general.
It is likely that the matter OF
making the appointment will be
brought to the attention Of the War
Department and the President in the
near future, as veteran and civic
organizations are beginning to seek
reasons for the delay. 1t is said to
be the longest period that the troops
Of the National Capital have been
without a general officer to direct the
affairs of its militia which has an
excellent history of service whenever
the Nation has been compelled to call
on it to take the field for service with
the colors in time of a national
emergency.
During the week it became known
that the District Guard definitely is
to get an addition to its personnel,
and several new organizations will be
organized in addition to an increase in
the numbers of one of its largest units.
About April /, If plans now made
are carried out, the District will get
an addition of II officers and 204 en-
listed men. Five officers and 70 enlist
ed men will be assigned to the forma-
ton of new unit to be designated the
Headquarters Company and Medical
Department Detachment, 29th Divis-
ion Special Troops. Two officers and
48 enlisted men will be formed into
the 18th Motor Transport Company
Of the 29th Division Quartermaster
Train. Another group of one officer
and Is enlisted men will form the
Headquarters Detachment, I'd Battal-
ion, 260th Coast Artillery. The fourth
and largest contingent of three officers
and 81 enlisted men will be formed
into Battery F, 260th Coast Artillery.
This addition to the Coast Artillery
will give that arm of the service repre-
sented here a regimental status. AL
ready the new regimental headquar-
ters has been formed with Lieut.. Col.
Walter w. Burns in command, and it
Is expected that soon after the new
Artillery units are formed that he
will be promoted to the rank of colonel.
With this addition to the military
It will give two regiments of troops
here. in addition to the separate units
including the District of Columbia's
quota of the 29th National Guard Di-
vision which is composed of the militia
units of this city. Maryland, Virginia
and portion of Pennsylvania. The
Coast Artillery is not part of the
divisional organization.
Therefore it was pointed out that
although the District has been for
more than two years without general
officer to direct the affairs of its
militia, its large organization after the
first Of April should have brigadier
general in command. While it was
pointed out that the local militia does
net have a brigade of troops of any
particular arm of the service. never
theless it has number Of units which
might be united into provisional
brigade, at least for the purposes of
administration.
The administration problems here
are multitudinous. Its fiscal affairs
come directly under the head of the
ONCE, and in addition to the routine
work such as looking after appropria-
tions for the support of the militia.
there is very definite problem Of
housing constantly confronting the
militia. For years it has been living
in one building and another, being
forced from one unsatisfactory struc-
ture into others. Its armories are
scattered, and, for the most part, are
purely makeshifts arranged just for
the purpose Of putting roof over
their collective heads.
The armory matter is expected to
be an important problem to be
pressed before the current Congress,
although no definite steps have been
taken at this time. It was pointed
out tina: the Guard needs q general
oficer of outstanding civic expert
ence to press the needs of the Guard
before Congress. and get for them
building built especially to take care
>os the training needs, one of the
greatest Of which Is drill hall
wherein the troops can conduct their
close order drills and maneuvers dur
ing the Winter months. Under the
present conditions, when the weather
is bad the instruction has to be con-
fined almost wholly to class room
work, and they have little opportunity
to put in any practical drill training
which will fit them for the arduous
field training work during the Sum-
mer months, when they must spend
two weeks In. camp. Owing to the
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