Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-07-20
SIXTEEN MILITARY CITIES TO Be
BUILT IN RECORD-BREAKING Time
Homes to Accommodate 100000 Soldiers Of the National Army
Must Be Ready by September Each cantOnment Is to
Have 1000 Houses, With a Population Of 10000
Men-Food Needed for Army.

~ AWNAN NNfNNV NO.
there are not more than $50 cities 10
the entire United States Of greater
population-are now In process or
construction. These cities are the can
comments In which the first American
selective draft army. Of between 500
900 and 100000 men. will receive their
preliminary training In this country,
prior to their transfer overseas to the
allied battle fronts In France. The
contractors to whom the contracts
have been let for the building "over-
night" 80 to speak, Of these 10 army
cities, are already hard at work, and
they must finish their Jobs by Septem-
Der /.
That the war department will sue
coed In making good and that each OF
these new cities will be ready on
schedule time for the more than 10000
draft men who will be ordered to them
for training, is the belief OF every Off
Ger In the army. Army officers and reg
ular army enlisted men, with several
thousand civilian employees added,
will bring the population Of each can
Torment to about 10000 men, necessi-
tnting a building problem involving
the construction Of about 1000 houses,
all Of them of considerable size, In the
space of a few weeks. The average
ground area covered by each canton
ment will be between 1900 and 1000
acres, and the maintenance Of the IS
cities Is expected to entail an expendl-
ture which In one year will probably
total more than S12O,OOO,OO0.
To feed the soldiers alone, who will
be trained In these environments, will
require In one year more than 2,OOO,-
600 bushels OF wheat, more than S4,-
100000 pounds OF fresh beef. and A.
100000 pounds Of fresh pork. The
milk needed will total In a year more
than 1O,5O0,0OO gallons. and there will
be needed probably 2,50O,O00 bushels
OF Irish potatoes, over $4,000 bushels
OF onions. and Over 275,00O,0 900 pounds
OF other vegetables, such al cabbage,
spinach. turnlps, etc. In addition to
all this food for man are the oats,
hay aud other feed which will be
needed by the more than 100000
horses and mules which will be en-
plOyed at the environments.
Location Of the Cities.
The 10 army cities will be located
near Aver. Mass. Yaphank, l.. l.;
Wrightstown, n. j.; Annapolis juno
tIon. Md. Petersburg, Va. Columbia,
s. c.; Atlanta. Ca. Chillicothe. o..
Louisville, KY; Battle Creek, Mich.
Des Molnes, Ia. Fort Riley, Kan.
Fort Sam Houston, Tex; Rockford,
III. Little Rock, Ark, and American
Lake, Wash.
What the emergency means which
faced the war department following
the passage OF the selectlve draft law
aud the announcement by President
Wilson that he would call to the col
ors the FIRST 100000 men Of conscrlp
ton age on September /. can be under
stood. as was pointed out by an Officer
Of the qunrtermuster corps, by keep
ing In mind what happens In the Ordi
nary run OF affairs during the con
structlOn Of the average living house
The architect takes his time over tn,
plans. there is plenty Of time to loOl
about for q contractor, and much tim,
Is wasted waiting for materials.
Compare" says u war department
memorandum. this everyday expert
ence with the governments task o
providing In about twelve weeks bar
racks for about 10000 men. with wa
ter supplies, plumbing and heatinI
equipments, hospitals, stOrehOuses, sta
blcs, and shops in locations wher
there was nothing NJ the time the sit
was selected but meadow and grove
Whnt private citizen would expect I
move into IA house on September l o.
which not Il stroke of work had bee
done on June II"
Each environment viii be a city q
orderly and properly laid out street
and blocks. with complete sewerag
aud electric lighting systems, rnllroa
yards, water lines and fire depar
ments. garbage %incinerators, and hur
dreds Of other co~nyenlences necessar
In the life Of any w~ell-organized moo
ern settlement.
In the construction OF the Panam
canal the governments e|xpendltur
amounted to about S40,OO0.OOO a yea
and for the environments probably d
much will be expended In four month
lust about one month ago the Oticia.
on whose shoulders was placed III
burden Of making the cantOnmenI
ready on time. started 10 solve N
problem. Involved In the task wa
first Of all the selection Of the 10 site
the scientific planning and laying OF
OF the 16 cities, the purchase and Il
assembling OF the materials, the draw
ing up OF the contracts nnd the slgnlI
up Of the contractors. Also there WI
the mobilization Of the thousands
carpenters. mechanics and other labo
ers, skilled and unskllled. and hu
dreds OF other matters, some big. OF
ers small. and all OF which had 10
settled In the shortest possible time.
Job Measured In Carloads
To construct each environment we
$1,000 49, 4 nnn $500. - -.