The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-10-07
NO MORE CAMPS
IN THE SOUTH
The Situation that Confronted the Biz
mingham Committee.
WHEN IT CALLED ON ALGER
Troops will be Sent on to Do Garrison
Duty.
IF OTHER SITES ARE REQUIR ED
Claims of This City will be Favorably
Considered and a Committee from
the War Department Sent
Here to Investigate.

No more military camps will be located
In the south or elsewhere at present.
This Was the situation which confronted
the Birmingham committee of the Com
mercial club when it called upon Secretary
of War Alger. The committee is now on
is way home, and will probably arrive
here today.
In addition to the plan of the administra-
ton not to designate further camp sites, no
present camp will receive a further quota
of troops. OF course this excerpts troops
already under orders to move.
The committee was told that Birming-
ham would be favorably considered if by
any unforeseen emergency the war de-
partment was forced to look about for
other camps. The plan of the administra-
ton as outlined to the committee in an in
terview Is to distribute the army as
promptly as possible in Cuba and Porto
Rico. The time has come when the pres
ence) of the troops is needed for garrison
duty and preparations are now going on to
move them from the present camps with
out confusion. The authorities also ex-
pressed the belief that there was no telling
when more troops would be needed for
service in the Philippines, for the president
has no means of knowing the outcome of
the sitting of the peace commissioners in
Paris
Alabama Camps Satisfactory
The committee gathered that the other
Alabama camps at Huntsville and Annis-
ton were giving satisfaction and would be
retained for some time Troops will be
moved from them to the West Indies from
time to time as they are needed to relieve
troops who will take the places of the new
garrisons in the camps they have left.
The probability that more camps might
have to be selected was not entirely denied,
and if this becomes necessary a commit
tee will be sent to Birmingham to investi-
gate. The question was brought up that
all of the troops might not be needed and
more of them should be sent to warmer
climate to spend the winter. This was the
view expressed by Travelling Passenger
Agent r. F. Beasley of the Louisville and
Nashville, who was member of the COM
mittee and returned last night.
He spoke very encouragingly of Biz
mingham's chances for securing a camp IL
any more are to be established in the
south.
ST went with the committee said he, "to
see Secretary Alger, and he gave us very
courteous reception. He said that while
the government had all the camps In the
south that they intended to establish for
the present, that it was possible that some
of the camps already existing would be
split up for sanitary reasons, and part of
the troops moved to other cities
'In case any more camps are to be es-
tablished the secretary gave us every as
surace that an inspecting committee would
be sent to Birmingham to look over the
sites offered. Though we didn't get the
camp we went for 1 think the trip was a
profitable one and well worth the trouble
and expense necessary to make 1t"
Free from Yellow Fever
If more sites should be required it is
argued that Birmingham is one of the best
suited locations in the south. One of the
main reasons is that there is absolutely no
danger of yellow fever here. The troops
at Jacksonville have been kept in a state
of fright for weeks fearing an epidemic.
Mobile would be out of the question at the
present season of the year, and it Is not
thought that Montgomery would be con-
sidered for the same reasons.
The committee will make it's report at the
meeting of the Commercial club this after
noon and some further steps may be taken.