Evening star., 1937-01-17
SPECIAL ARM0RY.
I MEASURE URGED.
Former Guard Association
Head Recommends Plan
for Project Here.

While National Guard officials here
have not determined their course on
any armory project, they have before
them the recommendation OF Brig.
Gen. Thomas E. Rilea of Oregon,
former president of the National
Guard Association of the United
States, that a special bill be intro
duced in Congress providing an ap-
preparation for this specific purpose.
It is probable that this will be the
course charted for the local officers,
as there is little chance of getting
any funds in the District budget in
view of the recommendations Of the
President and the Fiscal Relations
Committee, it was indicated.
The national association at its 1885
convention recommended that steps
be taken to provide an armory for
the National Guard of the District of
Columbia. Gen. Rilea said that the
matter was referred to the Armory
Committee which. he said, worker
aggressively on the matter with little
success. However, the president of
the association did not say what steps
had been taken by the committee to
get the matter before the Federal
Government and Congress.
With the situation before the Off
cials, it is probable that they will
have to make lone fight to bring to
an end efforts of more than quar-
ter of q century to provide proper
housing for the local troops. 1t was
pointed out that whereas State units
have been provided with funds for
srmories, the local citizen soldiers
are blocked by some excuse or OBJ
stacle on every occasion they have
tried to provide proper facilities for
the training of citizen soldiers here.
It is probable that the course Of
the local officials will be charted dur
ing the next two or three weeks. The
first thing they will have to do Is
to get congressional authority for the
purchase of private land for a site
for an armory or assignment of Fed
eral land in the District. Even If
funds are provided in separate bill
for such a building there would be
no place to put it, because the Ma
tional Capital parks office has decided
that it does not have authority to set
aside any Federal land here for the
purpose of being used for erecting any
structure.
Because of the fact that the two
projects are interlocking they will
have to be presented at the same time
but, it was pointed out, if the bills
when introduced, are sent to the Bud
get Committee for information as tt
whether they meet with the Presl-
dents budgetary recommendations
unless the local citizen soldier officials
are able to get sufficient politlca
backing in Congress, there is strong
belief that the measure will die there
because the matter of financing has
been one of the greatest stumbling
blocks to projects to provide the either
soldier with permanent home.
When the matters are presented tc
Congress there is a probability thai
the local officials will seek the suppor
Of Guard officials throughout the
GOuIlUTy, UdCAcu ny tllC IdSI eAidI CAi'
National Guard Association at severa
of its conventions has urged the con-
struction of a model armory for the
District of Columbia troops. which are
the only federalized militia in the
country.
In view of the recommendations for
the Federal Governments contribu-
ton to the District expense account
officers here see little likelihood OF
getting District government support for
any large project, such as an armory.
There is a strong feeling in some local
circles that the Federal Government
should foot the entire bill for an
armory here. because of the federal
lied status of the militia.
If the District authorities obtain
authority from Congress to dispose OF
a part Of the site of the municipal
center. for the purpose of using the
resultant funds with which to begin
construction of some of the proposed
buildings. the District Guard is likely
to find itself without home. as the
building which houses the largest
number of troops is on that part of the
site which it is proposed to sell, along
Pennsylvania avenue. These units
occupy the old hotel building at Sixth
street and Pennsylvania avenue.