Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-14

Orders for the members Of the
District National Guard to 60 into
the field In winter clothing has
caused some speculation as to
whether the maneuver campaign will
go longer than the now planned
three weeks. It was said to be the
first time in the post World War
history Of the Guard that the troops
have been sent into the field in
August, with instructions to take
along their winter garb, including
overcoats.
The instructions also provide that
each officer and man will take three
blankets which is all that was taken
into the field last winter when the
troops were ordered out on an adj
ditional week of training duty. Fur
ther indication that the campaign
ing will be hard is contained in the
direction that the troops be equipped
with the canvas leggins instead of
the cloth spiral leggins
OF course, 1t was explained that
the troops are going into northern
latitude, but 1t was added that when
the troops have gone into the noun
tains at Cascade, Md, for their pre-
vious base camps, they have only
taken their cotton clothing, and ov-
ercoats were unheard Of. They had
long before been placed in moth
balls In the armory storage rooms
for protection. Although they had
already been put away this summer.
the supply officers are now giving
them good airing, before being re-
issued to the troops.
Only three weeks remain before
the local citizen troops start the
long trek to the scene of the ma
neuvers. The officers and men. with
only a few days to work in as drill
periods go, are working feverishly
to perfect every detail for the de-
parture, and to assure that every de-
tall Tor the supply of the troops in
the field have been taken care OF
before they leave.
The units are faced with the prob
lem OF completely equipping all new
men whom the Guard Is able to
enlist prior to the departure for
the war games. More than 500
men are needed to fill the gaps in
the various units, and most of them,
1t was said, are needed by the 26Oth
Regiment Of Coast Artillery which
Is conducting most intensive re-
crultlng campaign in an effort to
enlist the young men of the city
IN the advantages of an enlistment
in this anti-aircraft regiment.
But at the rate the campaign is
going it is probable that all units
will go into the field short of their
allotted strength, as in order to fill
all ranks, it is estimated that it
would have to enlist about 200 men
a week for the short period remain
ing before their departure. 1t was
indicated that the campaign will be
kept up to the last minute. and if
ultimately successful it will man
that "a lot of new and unframed
men will be taken into the field
by the organizations. The War De-
partment has heretofore froWned on
this practice of taking raw recruits
into the field training camps, be-
cause of the necessity of taking
the non-commissioned officers away
from their regular duties in order
to give recruits the rudimentary
training in the school of the soldier.
But the conditions now, it was in
Dictated, have pointed to the neces-
sity of getting into the field every
possible man. and after a short
period of preliminary training throw
him into the ranks of the organiza-
tons and right into the maneuvers
which are expected to be on the
same scale which the troops would
face in the event they are called
into Federal service upon the de-
velopment of an emergency.
Col. Walter w. Burns, command
ing the 260th Regiment of Coast
Artillery has been notified by the
National Guard Bureau that his or
ganization has been allocated four
courses in two classes for National
Guard officers to be held at the
Coast Artillery School at Fort Mon
roe. Va.
The courses are especially for Of