Evening star., 1938-01-02
Guard Looks to Ne,v Year
To Bring Better Facilities
Provision for Ne,o Arn,ory and Ap.
Pointn'ent of Commanding General
Among Hopes for 1888.

With the arrival of another new
year, members Of the District Ma
tional Guard are looking forward in
the hope that 1t may bring a fulfill
ment Of their needs which have been
paramount for years, but have be-
come increasingly more important
during the past two years. The first
and greatest need is the provision OF
an armory worthy OF the name OF
such, 50 that the vastly increased
forces here may have a chance tc
expand their lungs as we'll as Their
indoor military training facilities dur
ing those inclement~ days when 1t is
impossible to get training In the open
The second need Is that of a COM
manding general to direct the des-
tinies. not only. Of the training of the
various arms Of the service which
have been allocated to the National
Capital, but who would direct the
movement to obtain for the militiamen
better housing facilities.
The realization OF the former rests
entirely with Congress now, as the
other governmental bodies which for
the past several years have had the
distribution Of funds for the construc-
ton Of public buildings throughout
the country, have turned down Dis
trict of Columbia requests for money.
The second need rests entirely with
the President of the United States. but
he, OF course, would act on the rec
ommendation of the War Department,
which, for some unexplained reason.
has not, so far as has been publicly
announced. taken any steps to fill the
vacancy OF more, than two years
standing.
Program Not Disclosed.
Just what program the local militia
officials have planned in order to get
directly before Congress their armory
needs has not been disclosed, but it is
known that Col. John w. Oehmann.
acting commander of the Guard. has
been working for several weeks. hold
ing conferences with those of his high
command and others in officialdom
The matter may get directly to the
Appropriations Committee through
the District of Columbia estimates.
but it is not known at this time
whether the recommendations made
to the Commissioners by the Guard
officials for inclusion OF an armorv
project this year in the estimates
escaped the pruning knife of the
Bureau OF the Budget. This will be
known as soon as the estimates 90 to
Congress Immediately upon its con-
Venlng IN regular session. The esti-
mates as they left the Guard head
quarters called for the appropriation
OF funds both for the provision of a
site for an armory and another fund
with which to begin construction of
the proposed buildings. There ap-
pears to be little doubt that the Site
provision received favorable considera-
ton by the budget officials, because
OF the fact that President Roosevelt
asked the last Congress. just before it
adjourned, to pass an emergency an
preparation for this purpose, because
the site which had been selected by
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission was fast being coy-
cred by private construction of new
apartment houses
Whether the call for funds for the
beginning Of construction of the build
ines will be approved as in accord
with the Presidents financial program
Will remain a secret until the estimates
are officially presented to the new Con-
gress. If this fails. then the Guards
men. with such outside support as they
can muster, will find it necessary to
take some steps to get the congress
sional ear directly. In their armory
efforts the District citizen soldiers
have the backing of high-ranking and
influential Guard officers throughout
the country, as well as the support of
the National Guard Bureau of the
War Department. Every official in
spection of the units of the local
Guard by officers of the Regular Army
has brought out the serious lack of
proper and ADEQUATE housing not onlv