The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1917-01-16
TRADE BOARD
GOT BUSY AND
IN GJOD TINE
kilograms Sent General Leon
ard Wood and a Large Num-
ber of Others
WOULD MAKE AN IDEAL SITE
Military Authorities are Invited
to Come Here. Congressman
Walker Working in conjunct-
ion With Mayor and Trade
Board.
WOULD MAKE AN IDEAL SITE

Brunswick has gone after the pro-
posed divisional army base that VIII
be located somewhere in the South
east ii the plans of the General Staff
of the United States army are carried
out to concentrate troops in large
bodies at a few strategic points in
Nead of scattering them widely at
mSny small army posts. The Board
OF Trade and Mayor Hopkins yester-
Gay telegraphed invitations to Major
General Leonard Wood, commander of
the department of the east. to visit
Brunswick, and also telegraphed Sen
ators Smith and HardWick and Rep
descntative Walker asking them to
present the advantages of Brunswick
to the War Department and urge that
Brunswick be visited and investigated
as location for the divisional army
base for the Southeast. Mayor Hop
kins received a telegram from Con
gressman Walker yesterday afternoon
saying that Secretary of War Baker
was out of Washington for the day,
but that he had seen one of the as
sistant secretaries of that department
and had been assured that Brunswick
would be investigated Congressman
Walker will push the matter with the
War Department.
The invitation of the Board of Trade
to General Wood was couched in the
following language:
I'VE urge that you visit Brunswick
and inspect sites for divisional army
base. The great harbor Of Brunswick,
now absolutely without defense of any
kind, offers an ideal base for enemy
invasion, as railroads radiate into the
entire South, and harbor could not be
blocked against enemy with east with
which the, narrow rivers to other
South Atlantic ports could be. We
think divisional base should be locat-
ed where there is the greatest proba-
bility of troops being needed to repel
invasion. Ample room for base, eX-
cellent facilities, and lowest death
rate Of any American city"
In the kilograms to Senators Smith
anu 11uIuW lth csiIu 1Oilso COO Illbil
Walker, the Board of Trade said:
Major General Wood, commanding
Department of East, on tour inspect
ing sites for probable divisional army
base. Is in Augusta today. Please
see War Department at once and urge
that Brunswick be inspected as site.
The great harbor offers ideal base
for enemy invasion, and affords equal
facilities for our own army, which
would be needed at point of invasion.
Narrow rivers of ether ports would be
blocked against enemy. Ample room.
excellent facilities and lowest death
rate of any city in America. Please
wiro result"
1t is understood that the General
Staff considers the concentration of
troops at few big army bases vitally
necessary for strategic reasons, so
as to permit the quick movement of
sufficient troops to any point threat
ened and to avoid the delap expert
enced in moving the troops from many
widely separated army posts in small
units, as well TO permit the OFFICERS TO
become experienced in handling and
maneuvering large bodies of troops
and to give the soldiers the drilling
possible where there are large num-
hers. 1t is said that, before the Mexi-
can trouble caused the concentration
of both the regular army and Nation
al guard on the border there was not
an active officer of the army who had
ever handled a BODY Of troops larger
than q brigade. and the delay ana
muddie caused by the moving of small
units from many army posts is well
known to the public. For these rea-
sons the general staff has adopted
the new policy, and, as the increase