Evening star., 1948-07-29
Chief Of Guard Bureau
Flies 10 District Camp,
.Confers on Equipment
By WiIliom J. WheotIey

CAMP PENDLETON, VIRGINIA
BEACH, Va, July 29.-Discord which
broke out within the District Ma
tionaf Guard when the 260th Anti
aircraft group came here for its
annual field training short of neces-
sary equipment has brought high
regular Army officers here for first
hand investigation.
Gen. Leonard T. Gerow. command
ing the I'd Army at Fort George G.
Meade, Md, is expected to come
within a few days.
Maj. Gen. Kenneth Cramer, chief
of the Army's National Guard Bu-
reau. accompanied by members of
his staff, flew into the camp late
yesterday. He arrived in thunder
storm and torrential rain which
flooded the camp. Lightning set
one of the camp buildings afire and
partially blacked out the training
post and the nearby beach resort.
Confers for Two Hours.
Gen. Cramer Immediately went
into a closed conference with Col.
LIE Roy S. Mann, commander of
the District outfits here, members
of his staff, and Col. Charles M.
Myers, the regular Army inspector
instructor assigned to the anti
aircraft unit. 1t lasted for more
than two hours.
During the discussions, the gen.
eral said, he canvaSsed the whole
situation. Both he and his staff
went into the records of supplies
ordered and supplies on hand. They
also listened to reports on the re-
suits of the early orders to make
supplies in nearby Army posts
available Immediately to the Dis
trict units without the usual for
malitieS.
Subsequently, Gen. Cramer said
that he had decided to make official
cognizance of press reports and
make a personal investigation Of
the conditions which they indi-
Gated existed. He said, however.
that in his visit he had found that
the supply problem, basis of the
complaints, will be cleared up dur
ing the day.
Cognizant of DiscOrd.
Asked directly what the National
Guard Bureau could do to correct
series of conditions which have
been charged to incompetency and
inefficiency in the Guards top ad-
ministrative command, he replied
that when it becomes possible the
bureau will be ready to move in
with corrective measures.
From other sources, however, 1t
was learned that the bureau has
been cognizant, for many months,
of discordant condition which
has hampered and prevented the
fighting units from carrying out
their full scale training in the
manner expected of them.
This situation is said to have been
made known to the bureau by Army
observers who have had their
fingers on the base of the trouble
for some time.
Cox Past Retirement Age.
Officers familiar with the legal
setup of the District Guard, say
that nothing can be expected until
the White House acts. Brig. Gen.
Albert L. Cox, commander OF the
District Guard, is said to have
passed the statutory age which re-
quires Army officers to retire, but a
popularity of the statute under
which the local Guard operates per-
mits it's commander, who is ap-
pointed by the President instead of
by the Governor as is done in the
States, to remain active until a
successor is qualified.
Gen. Cramer was accompanied
here by Maj. j. L. Manz, Maj. John
w. Umprey and w. M. Zigler. a
civilian from the bureaus informa-
ton section. The general and his
aides went among the men while
they were eating their evening mess.
He questioned them closely as to the
quality and quantity of the food.
Some said that there was not
enough, but the general Immediately
developed the fact that seconds"
were available.
Ranges Blamed for Food.
When the general examined the
food disposal cans, he thought the
disposal was a little heavy and
questioned the men as to the rea-
son.
They indicated that it was not
tasty and properly prepared. This
was blamed on the soft coal ranges
set up in the camp barracks.
Col. Mann explained that the
District troops now were setting up
their own gasoline fired ranges but
that again there had been difficulty
in getting administrative head
quarters to procure non-leaded gas
oline which is required for their
operation.
20 Turkish Women Busy