The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-09-28
OPPOSES CAMP Of
CITIZEN SOLDIERS
Dr. Booker, of University, Says
He Does Not Favor PIatts-
burg Plan Here
tSpecial to The News and Observer.

ness mems training camp located in
North Carolina, similar to the one held
at Plattsburg. n. Y, this DIR.
VI. Booker, of the English DEPART
meut Of the Unive rsity. declared him
SELF opposed to the plan. DR.. Booker
vas one Of the five North Carolinians
who attended the camp at Plattsburg.
Doctor. are you in favor of estab-
fishing a branch of the Plattsbure
camp in North Carolina?" he was
asked in an interview Friday after
noon.
80. | am opposed to it. Although
feel that | don't know much about
such matters. still I am Of the opin-
ion that the less the State has to do
with military matters the better. The
state camp has the disadvantage Of
being only n local affair. Such a thing
ought to be run on a national basis.
However General Wood told VS. this |
summer that there would probably be |
q camp in this part of the country !
next summer General Wood also
said that the government was pre-
pared To support the Appalachian
camp had the people of North Caro-
lima and Virginia taken more interest
i'm the matter"
Are there to be other camps next
s1mmer besides the inc at Pittsh,rg
and The proposed camp in North Car
DINA"
Yes, there will be one of these
camps near San Francisco. one near
Seattle. and one near Chicago. No
definite plans have as yet been made
for \ Southern camp. The South is
much more apathetic in such matters
than is the North and West. The
Northern people as a whole were
much more interested in the expert
ment At Plattsburg than the people
of the South"
Was there anything rough in the
lf" Al Plattsburg. Doctor"
Yes. Roosevelt was rough. Roose-
veltS speech was the toughest thing
| We came in contact with while at
Plattsburg. The whole camp regret
ted the fact that Roosevelt had made
the speech and especially that he had
victimiZed General Wood"
Well, aside from that unfortunate
speech by Roosevelt, would you say
that the life up there was exceptionally
rough on business and professional
mem"
eff you call it a rough life to wrap
a blanket around you and sleep on
the ground. to wash your w mess
kit in the tub in which 149 others
had WASHED theirs. and to dry your
face on a towel used by forty or fifty
others. then life up there was rough.
I admit the life up there did seem
rather rough to me at first. but I soon
got used to it. If it was rough. the
life was at least healthy and invig-
Grating"
d you think you will go back
next year, Doctor?"
Yes. I am going back if nothing
happens. / considered it a highly val
liable training and experience. / want
TO work myself up to the rank of sec
ond lieutenant eventually"
Doctor. what do you think is the
big idea connected with this camp
Well, I believe that the gathering
of so many business and professional
men into camp life each year is COINS
to be force in convincing the Ameri
can people Of the importance Of al
efficient army.
The matter Of preparedness i
taken more seriously in the Nortl
than it is in the South. This is prob
ably due to the knowledge that tn
Middle and New England State
would form the chief objective of a.
invading enemy. A line drawn iron
Cleveland. Ohio, through Pittsburg t
Norfolk (the approximate length O
the present Franco-German war front
Ter, would contain territory contain
ing three-fourths of our iron and cos
and almost all of our important muni
ton plants.
Although a number of men ioine
the camp for pleasure and the extr
holiday. the greater body of us Wer
because we believed that preparedness
Ras necessary. We were tired of tn
alk about it. and, therefore. felt
Certain relief in doing something
however inadequate that somethin
blight be. The sentiment Of the cam
eaS expressed by Ambassador Baco
When he said that his presence IN
hat Of his three sons was a prote
s"inSt unpreparedness.
TIL camp was run to perfectiO
NJ there was practically no sickness
APPARENTLY every exigency had bee
ore~aen and the comfort Of the me
provided for.
The attitude Of the officers W;
rm but gentle. The men voiced {
fN"rsl occasions their realization TIL
ne Of the most beneficial partS of II