Evening star., 1937-03-07
ARMY INSPECTORS
MAY AID ARMORY
Officers Expected to Com
ment on Poor Facilities
for Guard.

Regular Army officers sent here to
conduct the annual personnel and
armory inspections of the National
Guard Of the District OF Columbia are
expected. to provide the local officials
further material for their fight for an
armory here befitting the dignity OF
the militia Of the National Capital.
These inspectors not only are ex-
pected to determine the efficiency OF
the personnel and the condition Of the
equipment, but to ascertain and report
on the condition under which 1t is
kept. They also are expected to report
on the condition for drill and instruc-
ton Of the troops during the armory
drill period, which is the most impor-
tant period Of the year, because the
troops are only in the field two weeks
when they are expected to put into
practice the work they learned during
the year in the armory.
Practically every inspector who has
been sent here has written Of the un-
satisfactory conditions in the way of
drill facilities and for the protection
of the thousands of dollars worth of
old equipment which must be kept on
hand and ready for immediate field
service. This material Is loaned by
the War Department for training pur-
poses, and is supposed to be.kept under
proper conditions.
Much of this material is stored on
t1n -
at sixth street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue., an old hotel building taken over
by the District in the acquisition of a
site for the proposed new municipal
center. Officers point out that during
heavy rains employees of the armory
have to spend much time in hauling
large tarpaulins over some of the
equipment to prevent its being dam
aged by the leaking roof Because OF
its age and the possibility that it
might be razed at any time, very little
money is allowed for maintenance
and repair.
Officers of the militias are dill
gently working along several lines to
have Congress provide funds with
which to construct an armory here for
they have not disclosed their plans
1t is believed, however. they are trying
to formulate plans so that when the
matter is presented to Congress il
will not be sent to the Budget Bureau
and have it returned with the nota-
tion that it is not in accordance with
the Presidents financial program
This has happened so many times be-
fore. they are trying to grease the
ways so that when the matter is pre-
sented it will not be met with OBJ
structions.
AS soon as definite plan is formu-
lated, 1t was indicated that the mat
ter will be referred to the Legislative
Committee of the National Guard
Association Of the United States to get
support Of that ground behind the
project. The last convention gave in
structions to this body to diligently
work for the provision here of an
aHmory which would be not only be-
fitting the National Capital troops
but one that would serve as a mode.
for the States which are expected tc
provide their own armories
In the plan for getting the project
before Congress, much data and his.
tory is being compiled and in it will
be included not only the reports OF
the various inspectors who have ex.
amined the building each year. but
statements of the various heads of the
National Guard Bureau of the Wal
Department who have viewed the
armory situation as so unsatisfactory
that they have seen fit to give atten-
ton to it by commenting in their an
nual repOrtS.