The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-01-02
To Introduce Bill Choosing Amer
lean Lake Site
tS1|MATET0s1 At MILLION DOLLARS
SELECTION is NOT TO BE LEFT
TO. THE SECRETARY
OF WAR.

A draft of a bill will soon be pre-
pared by the war department provid-
ing for the purchase of a site for army
maneuvers on the Pacific coast, says a
Washington report. The bill will, ac-
cording TO the present intention, ex-
pressly name a particular site within
certain limits, instead of leaving the
choice of a location to the secretary
of war or to a board of officers.
The site TO be named is the region
in the vicinity of American lake, near
Tacoma. for this is the location pre-
ierred by nearly every officer of the
army who has ever seen it, and all the
reports on file in the war department
are more favorable to it than to any
other site west. of the Rocky noun
tains.
Cost About Million Dollars.
When the annual estimates of the
government were sent to congress this
month there were included an esti.
mate of s1,000,000 for an army bri-
gade post and maneuver camp on the
Pacific coast" Naturally no particu
lar site was specified, but the war de-
partment has none other in mind than
the American lake site.
Quiet investigations have been made
to learn what the probable cost of the
land would be. and the administration
is pretty well satisfied that there will
be no attempt to hold up the govern
ment for eXorbitant prices. If such
tactics should be tried, the result
would probably be fatal to the final
selection OF American lake property,
and the war department might be in
duced to choose a location in CalifOr-
MIA This would be the case all the
more readily since the California con-
gressional delegation may be expected
in any event to make a fight for the
selection of camp site in their state.
Officers Favor the Site.
Since last summers encampment
and maneuvers were held at American
lake there have been some additional
reports from army officers favorable
to the selection of that site as a per-
.manent field for mock military opera
ton These reports. however. will not
be given out by the war department,
for it is the policy to make as little
noise as possible about the matter I'M
til the desired legislation is passed by
congress.
Senator Piles, Representative Cush-
man and other members of the Wash
ington delegation in congress will do
their best to secure the passage of the
proposed bill at this session. 1t is be-
lieved that a majority of the military
affairs committee in each branch of
congress will be favorable to the APP
preparation.
When the military appropriations
bill is under consideration Secretary
Taft and other officers of the war de-
partment will probably be called be-
fore the house committee to give their
views as to the merits of the Amer
lean lake site, and it is certain that
the testimony of all these officers will
be entirely favorable.
The department is satisfied that the
most essential requirements of place
for military encampment and maneu
vers are fulfilled by the large tract of
land where the operations were car
ried on last summer although some
of the theorists of the general staff
will not admit. of course, that the site
is absolutely ideal.