Arizona republican., 1917-06-02
CANVAS CITIES TO
 TAKE PLACE TOWNS BUILT OUT 0F WOOD
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1


 WASHINGTON, June 1.-lmpcrtant revisions in the plan for training the war army have been made by the war department, which announced today that the half million men to be called to the colors in September will be con centrated in Is cantonments instead Of 32, and that many of the forces prob ably would be put into tents instea1 of wooden barracks.
 Lack of funds, material, labor and transportation facilities, Secretary Baker said, were determining influ- ences in the decision to reduce the number of cantonments.s The previous plan to build g of the camps was reached, it was explained, after con- gress had appropriated s77,000,00O on the theory that there would be only l6 For a time the larger number seemed practicable but that would have made a much greater demand on the taxed resources at the depart ment's command.
 Only Four Sites Selected
 Although the change will upset all the tentative plans for camp locations made by department commanders, it is not expected to delay beyond Sep tember l the mobilization of the great draft army. Four of the 16 canton- ment sites provided for under the new plan already have been selected, and choice of the others is expected soon. Secretary Baker indicated that build ing would proceed as rapidly as possi- ble The four sites selected are at American Lake, Washington Atlanta, Ga; Ayre, Mass, and Wrightstown, N. J.
 A more plentiful supply of canvas than expected made it possible to put some of the troops under tents. A can vas shortage was largely responsible for the original plan to house the army in wooden barracks, for army officials have preferred tenting from the start. Most of the tents used probably will be placed at southern camps.
 In making the announcement Secre- tary Baker said also that forces in eX- cess of those which could be cared for in the 16 cantonments would be placed under canvas. This was taken as re- ferring to national guard divisions, all though the militia bureau has received no instructions in this regard.
 Sixteen Guard Divisions
 There is no indication of an inten- tion to alter the plan for formation of l6 divisions of the guard. The question of filling these up to war strength probably will not be settled until selec- tion of men for military service in the draft army begins. It is possible that it will be found better at that time, if the state forces have not been re- cruited to full strength, to consolidate into a smaller number of divisions, but under the law either the regular or guard can be filled up with men from the selected lists if that is desired
 Meantime the national guard units of the eastern portion of the country will be drafted into the federal armies on July 15. Undoubtedly they will be put under canvas as rapidly as di- visional mobilization is ordered, and the plan of training virtually all guard divisions in the southern section of the country will be adhered to. The guard already has a considerable sup ply of tentage and the machinery of the Council of National Defense is at work endeavoring to secure enough for all forces with little delay.
 All of the guard units will have been drafted into service by August ,. That does not mean, however, that ali will have been ordered to divisional training camps at that time. Presumably the best equipped and recruited forces will be made ready first for duty abroad, but there has been no announcement as to the process to be followed
 More than 60,000 guardsmen now are engaged in police work, guarding bridges, factories and other structures, and that work will have to be kept up.