Evening star., 1937-10-24

Further efforts to get support Tor the
provision of funds with which to con-
struct an armory for the National
Guard Of the District Of Columbia will
be brought up this week at the annual
convention of the National Guard As
sociation of the United States. The
local Guard will be represented at the
meeting by Col John A. Oehmann.
commanding the local militia. and Col.
Charles A. Dravo, u. S. Army, who
recently reported here as adjutant
general.
Every effort will be made to again get
the association TO take definite steps
to assist in the requirement of an ar
mory here. While the association has
had this problem before it for num-
Der of years, nothing concrete has
ever come of the move. although last
year the Legislative Committee was in
structed to take steps to bring about
some results. The local militiamen
hope that this committee will make a
report of what it has done in the mat
ter.
Although a recommendation for an
appropriation for an arnlory was in
cluded in the tentative estimates for
the Guard which were submitted to the
District Commissioners. the militia
officials have not been informed as 10
what recommendations the Commits
sioners will make to the Bureau Of the
Budget. However. in view of the in
sistent demand from local organiZa-
tions for a cut in the District eXpendi-
lures with consequent cut in the
taxes, the officials are not very opti-
mistic of favorable consideration. For
that reason they are not awaiting for
this word before starting other move
ments in an effort to end campaign
of more than a century during which
the Guard has been shunted around
from one old building to another.
Local officials are hoping the Ma
tional Guard meeting will authorize
the appointment of a special commit
tee, as was done by the Adjutant Cen
erals Association, to present the mat
ter directly to the President, pointing
out that the militia at the Nation
Capital should have an armory which
will be model for the States.
While the convention is expected to
get a special report on the committee
which had charge of studying the
armories built out of public works
funds. little can be expected from
this so far as the District is con-
cerned because there is no separate
body to put up the grant which must
be part of the fund for the building
construction While the President, fol-
lowing the visit of the adjutant gen.
eral group, ordered a special study
made of the proposition. as yet no re-
port has been made public on the mat
ter. Local Guard officials hope that
the convention will take action which
will speed up this report. and that 1t
will definitely provide start next year
of building construction.
Although the construction of pri-
vate buildings has been started on a
site selected for an armory by the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. officials said that they
did not believe that enough of the site
had been used up to the present time
to spoil it for armory purposes. Presl-
dent Roosevelt, just before adjourn
ment of the last session of Congress,
asked for an emergency appropriation
with which to purchase the site, but
Congress failed to approve it. There
is a hope that the President will re-
new his recommendation for this
fund at the coming session.
Marksmen of the 12lSt Engineer
Regiment received word last week from
the War Department that personnel of
Engineer regiments would be permitted
to participate this year in the chief
of, the National Guard Bureaus in
door matches.
Heretofore. these annual competi-
tions have been restricted to infantry
regiments. Col. Oehmann has already
started preparations for enrolling
teams and individuals in the matches
He has discussed the matter with Mai
Just C. Jensen. in charge of target
practice for the guard, and the COM
petitions are expected to be started
soon. The competitive scores are sent
to the War Department. Upon conclu-
sion of the period set aside for the FIR
ing. the results are announced.
Monday of each week the Rife and
Pistol Club of the Engineer Officers