Evening star., 1940-12-14
Induction Office
Transfer Brings
D. {. Protest
Baltimore Armory
To Be Scene of Tests
On Next SeIectees

Abandonment of the Washington
Induction station with the view of
accepting future District area Sc
lectees at the 5th Regiment Armory
in Baltimore precipitated bitter pro-
test in several official quarters here
today.
An official who was instrumental
In setting up the station at 458 In
diana avenue NV. complained that
the move was "just another instance
of showing the 49th State around
at will"
Although the building in which
the station was housed was badly
In need of renovation, others pointed
out, the efficiency of the station in
turning out flrst-quota inductees
was second to none in the entire
Sd Corps Area.
Other Quarters Offered.
Corps area officials announced last
night that the station would be
abandoned in the interests of "ef-
ficiency and economy Cost of
putting the Indiana avenue Struc-
ture in first-class condition would
have run into several hundred dol
lars, possibly as much as two or
three thousand, but plans already
were under way to provide necessary
funds through the District without
causing any undue hardship on any
other agency, it was learned today.
Moreover, a stop-gap in case
repair funds were held up had been
provided through an informal offer
by the Commissioners of more ade-
quate quarters for the induction
station elsewhere in the city.
The change means that henceforth
selectees named to fill quotas in the
District area will be transported by
rail to Baltimore, where they will be
given rigid physical examinations
and put through other induction for
malities. Those who are accepted
will go directly to Fort George G.
Meade, Md, while selectees who fail
to pass the tests will be given train
rides back to Washington at Gov
eminent expense.
ohc nCkAdSCIhcHt INCCucu.
One replacement selectee still re-
mains to be indicted to fill the citvs
quota for the first call He will be
put through the induction routine
at the Regular Army Recruiting
Station, 631 Pennsylvania avenue
NV, where the majority of the ad-
mlnlstratlve personnel formerly as
signed to the Indiana avenue induc-
ton station now are on duty.
Capt. R. M. Peak, who was called
from his duties as head of the re-
cruiting station to direct the ad-
ministration of the induction CEN
ter. has returned to his former job.
The Baltimore armory is more
than adequate to take care of pres
ent induction loads. There is pos
sibility of establishment of another
Washington station when calls begin
coming through for large numbers
of recruits. Quotas, for the time
being, will remain small due to the
lag in the Army housing construction
program.
The block long Baltimore struc-
ture is described as exceptionally
well-equipped for inductions. Selec-
tees can be made much more COM
Portable there with its large club and
reading rooms. The waiting room
at the old Indiana avenue station
here was too small to accommodate
even the few men who we're called
for induction when the first quota
was filled.
80 Men Second Quota.
While up to 81 selectees will be
called out January as the Districts
share of the second quota for the
Sd Corps Area, maximum of 284
men will make up Marylands quota,
Gov. O'Conor announced today.
In Baltimore, selective service
officers said the maximum set was
considerably lower than had been
expected and that the final figure
set may be even lower.
Six local draft boards in Mary
land still are attempting to fill the
first quota of 157 men. The six re-
placements are slated for induction
in Baltimore Tuesday.
1t. Comdr. G. H. Bryant, assistant
selective service executive for Mary
land said each local board would
receive a definite quota for the sec
ond call. Baltimore is expected to
supply approximately half of the
men called