The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-06-12
RICHMOND MAY GET
VIRGINIA CAMP
CHOICE BETWEEN HERE AND
FREDERICKSBURG TO DE
Na..
MADE THIS WEEK.
FAIR GROUNDS BE SITE
WAITING ON GOVERNOR STUART TO
APPROVE CHoICE--THREE
THOUSAND TROOPS WILL
TAKE PART
FAIR GROUNDS BE SITE
WAITING ON GOVERNOR STUART TO

Richmond stands good chance Of
getting the Virginia militia encamp~
ment. It's only competitor now is
Fredericksburg, and, although, the
latter has the advantage, 1t is con-
sidered not at all Improbable that the
encampment may come to this city.
The dates for the encampment have
been positively set for July 81 to July
30, inclusive.
Governor Stuart has been out Of the
city for some time. and is not ex-
peeted back for some time yet. AS he
Will have to approve the selection of
camp site, his absence from the city
will cause some DELAY in reaching a
definite decision. but the adjutant gen.
sTHf's office is insisting TINT the foca~-
ton forf the camp be decided upon
at once. AdJutant General Sale stated
to The Virginian yesterday that he
thought the site wnuld he selected be-
fore the end of this week. and II will
be either Richmond or Fredericks-
burg.
The proposition from Fredericks-
burg was received Wednesday and
two officers from the adiutant gem
erals office visited the scene Of the
proposed camp yesterday They are
expected TO bring back today infor-
nation, upon which a decision will be
based
The mobilization site at the State
fair grounds here is also under con-
alteration Richmonds site offers
many advantages from the fact that
1t has already been selected as the
mobilization point, ana the property
of the State militia has been shipped
to that point and stored. Should this
site be selected, considerable saving
y
cost Of transporta ten and freight
charges. The close proximity Of the
fair grounds to the city, however
which is calculated ia interfere with
the work of the militia viii work
against Richmond In the matter of
making selection.
The camp will be under command
of Colonel Wilbur Wilder. Of the Fifth
Cavalry. u. 8. A. First Lieutenant
Fl. NJ. Coulter. of the Coast artillery
division of the United States army,
has been designated as camp quarter
master. He will assist Colonel Allen
Potts, the brigade quartermaster
Company NJ, OF the Twenty ninth
United States infantry, will partlci-
pate in the camp, the members OF this
troops being used as instructors for
the militia.
The trouble over the selection Of a
camp site has beer occasioned by
changes in the plans Of the war de-
partment Adjutant General Sale was
| notified early in the year that the Vir-
ginia troops would be required to go
into maneuvers near Washington this
| summer The State then decided to
take advantage of this ia ct by putting
in certain needed improvements at
the State camp site at Virginia Beach,
in order to get it into good condition
for the 1915 encanpment. The ground
was plowed up and the camp other
| wise made impossible to use this sum
mer.
Recently the war department noti-
| fed Adjutant General Sale OF change
in its plans. and the maneuvers would
| be held in Virginia, instead Of In the
| immediate vicinity of Washington
! This made 1t necessary to select q
temporary site for this summer
Charlottesville was the first to offer
| n site. but the officers who investi-
gated that location found nothing
| very desirable and, in addition. 1t was
proposed to charge the State for water
and lights. Other locations were also
| suggested. but The matter has now
narrowed down to Richmond and
! Fredericksburg
! There will be about three thousand
men in camp, including three regi-
ments of infantry, constituting the
| first brigade, tho Richmond Blues
/ battalion of four companies, field ar
| tillery Of three batteries, signal corps
and hospital corps