Evening star., 1940-07-28
DC. Guardsmen
Poised for
War Games
200 Officers and
Men to Leave Next
Sunday for New York
BY ROBERT A. ERWIN.

BY train and motor convoy, more
than 1900 officers and enlisted men
of the District National Guard will
leave next Sunday for a 50O-mile
trip to Northwestern New York
State to participate for three weeks
in one of the Nations biggest peace
time Army maneuvers.
The entire 1st Army of the United
States, numbering approximately
10000 Regular Army soldiers and
National Guard troops of the 1st, I'd
and Sd Corps Areas-from Maine to
Virginia-will be thrown into the
training program under the direc-
ton of 1t. Gen. Hugh A. Drum. Gov
ernors Island N " lst Army COM
mander
Last year the 1st Army was di-
Vided into two maneuvers Of two
weeks each, one in Northern New
York and the other at Manassas,
Va. The District Guard and the
29th Division, of which it is a part.
trained with other Sd Corps Area
troops in the Manassas-Bu Run
section, under Maj Cen James K.
Parsons. Sd Corps commander.
Look Forward to Maneuvers.
District Guard personnel Is look
ing forward to the New York ma
neuver with more than usual in
terest, in view of the internationa
emergency and the opportunity for
extended relief from the Capitals
heat wave Orders were issued some
time ago for troops to wear winter
uniforms during field training. This
was based on the experience OF last
year. when men wearing cotton uni
forms in the New York area suffered
from the cold
The winter uniform order has
nothing at all to do with the pos
sibility of Congress authorizing the
President to call the National Guard
into Federal service. according to
Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox, District
Guard commander. Should such
legisla ton be enacted in the near
future, the Guard would not be
called until this fall, the general
said.
Two plans have been proposed,
one for taking $4,000 Guardsmen
into full-time service the other for
calling out the entire National
Guard of more than 100000 men.
The National Guard Office staff
here, headed by Col Charles A.
Dravo, adjutant general, and 1t.
Col. Peyton G. Nevitt assistant ad-
jutant general, has worked for
months on plans for the maneuvers.
- The maneuver area Is asas one of
! the actions of tho United States
which, it has been, said, might ac-
ttiany have to be defended should
a foreign invader ever secure foot
hold in Canada for an attack on
this country.
Leave With Pay Granted.
Guardsmen who are Federal Gov
ernment employees will be granted
leave with full pay for this special
training. one week IN excess of the
usual two weeks of summer camp.
while officers have urged private
employers to follow the same course
in dealing with their workers who
belong to the Guard
Canada is just across the St Law
renee from where the Guardsmen
will be. but they will not be allowed
to cross the border.
Maneuver plans also have taken
into consideration program of
amusement. diversion and devotional
services. There will be Protestant
and Catholic services for the officers
and men each Sunday in camp. A
moving picture theater for 29th Di-
vision troops will be adjacent to
division headquarters.
Heuvelton, N Y, will be the rail-
head for 29th Division troops, COM
prising National Guardsmen from
the District, Maryland and Virginia,
with one regiment fiom Pennsvl-
vania Division headquarters will be
located at Rensselaer, Falls. near
Heuvelton. and District troops will
be quartered nearby. Both Heuvel-
ton and Rensselaer, Falls are on the
Oswegatchie River, which flows into
the st. Lawrence River at Ogdens-
burg, N. Y, which also will be one
| OF the maneuver points.
The training area, generally
speaking. lies between the Adiron-
dack Mountains and Lake Cham
plain on the east and Ogdensburg
and the st. Lawrence on the west.
Leave at 7 am: Sunday.
The District Guards largest unit.
the 260th Coast Artillery, with more
than l.I00 officers and men, and the
1st Battalion. 104th Quartermaster
Regiment, will leave the Capital by
(See GUARD, Page B-3)