Evening star., 1937-03-14
PLANS LACK HELD
| UP ARM0RY FUNDS
States Made Wild Scramble
to Obtain Money for
Buildings.

Failure to provide for and submit
definite plans was blamed for the fail
ure OF many States throughout the
country to obtain approval for their
National Guard armory projects from
the Works Progress Administration.
When 1t was first indicated the Fed
eral Government would give consid-
Grafton to the problem of providing
proper and suitable housing for these
militia units in Its efforts to provide
work, many OF the States, it was said,
rushed in with plans for gigantic
buildings, many Of them ornate in
architecture, without any regard to
their future use, when and II con-
structed.
Furthermore, it was said that many
areas sent in their plans without any
recommendation for a contribution
they expected the Federal Govern
ment. in its generosity, to foot the
bill. But these projects have never
been approved. The armory prob
lem, not only here, but throughout
the country, has been a serious one.
and 1t is probable that Congress will
make provision in the next year for
more construction as a part of the
relief program in the States. However,
1t was said that in order to get in on
these funds, if provided, the States
and towns must take steps to make
some contribution to the cost.
Lieut.. Col. Oswald K. Yeager of the
Works Progress Administration in ex-
planning the armory matter said States
that organized, or perfected an organi-
zation, or placed some one in charge
to run 1t, as If they really wanted
armories, are having them built today
and can still get some of them If they
90 through. He added the idea seems
to prevail in many places that an
armory still has to be of the old
fortress type. that you have to spend
q lot OF money, build big armories. that
amories could not be built for sac. 900
or s50,00o
He said If the States really wanted
armories, something that would salts
factorily house the troops and their
equipment, that could be done. On
the other hand, if an auditorium
or stage or some other addition
was needed, then that was a local
problem. The Federal Government
could not be expected to provide this,
although willing to assist in providing
adequate housing for the citizen
troops scattered through the country.
The efforts to work out the armory
problem disclosed, when the recon-
mendations were received at the
Works Progress Administration, there
were 48 different ideas and plans
for the 48 States. The ideas OF what
armorieS should be varied that many
times, the study of the plans showed.
He pointed out 1t has never been es-
tabllshed, and it is not definitely
known by any State, just how much
space is required for an individual
soldier, just how much space is re-
quired for dead and live storage equip
ment. 1t was brought forward that
single-unit armory may be built
at a cost of $4,000 in one place, but
| another place the estimates go as high
as s400 900. Because of this disclos-
ure officials Of the Works Progress
Administration and officers from the
National Guard Bureau of the War
Department are making a study OF
the problem of how much space a
Guardsman requires for armory work
so that unit scale can be established
from which to determine what should
be allowed on each recommendation
by a State. Col. Yeager said even
now some armories are being built
that will never, by the widest stretch
of the Imagination, be suita BILE for an
| armory.
Although efforts were made to get
funds with which to construct a local
armory out of the Works Progress
appropriations, it seems likely now the
local project failed because there was
no offer to provide part of the cost
The District Guard officials could not
make such an offer, because Congress
must first provide the funds which
| could be used as the Districts share
recommendation never came out OF
the Works Progress Administration
once it was submitted, and officials
here are still in the dark as to just
what action or recommendation was
made on the matter.