The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-08-29
NATIONAL ARMY
WILL MOBOLlE
SEPTEMBER 9TH

Railroads war DoaIo'
the following:
Plans for the largest troop move
ment ever scheduled in the history
of this country are now being per-
fected by the American Railway AS
sociation at the request of the Uni
ted States Government. Altogether,
$4,000 men will have to be trans
ported to various cantonments that
the Government is building to house
the new National Army. The move
ment will start September fifth. Be-
tween that date and September ninth
the railroads will complete the en-
trainment of 100000 men, or ap-
proximately 80 per cent of the to-
tai number scheduled to be moved
to the various training camps.
It is expected that second move
ment of approximately 100000 men
will begin on September 18th, con-
tinuing for four days thereafter, and
q third movement of the same size
on October 3rd.
Some conception of the magnitude
of the task confronting the American
Railway Association in preparing
schedules that will assure the safe
and prompt transportation of these
armies without interfering with reg
ular traffic may be cleaned from the
fact that to move merely one field
army of $4,000 men requires 6,229
cars made up into 366 trains with as
many locomotives and train crews.
Meanwhile, in addition to moving
the $4,000 recruits for the National
Army, the railroads have been asked
to supply transportation for the
$4,000 members Of the National
Guard to their training camps. This
National Guard movement has al
ready started and will continue in
increasing volume until all have
been moved.
A bulletin, covering the move
ment of the National Army to the
training camps and explaining the
plans which the Government wants
carried out, has just been issued for
distribution to the various railroad
officials of the country. The bulle-
tin is as follows:
'sThe citizens selected to form the
National Army will begin to move to
their respective training camps on
September 5th.
''The number to be selected stands
at present at $4,000 men.
"Four thousand, five hundred and
thirty-one points in the United States
have been designated by the Provost
Marshal General as points of local
concentration, at one of which each
individual will be required to report
at a stated time and from which the
parties will proceed by railroad to
the cantonment to which they have
been assigned.
.The Provost Marshal General:
through the state authorities, (The
Governor, Adjutant General, etc.,
will retain control of these men until
they are placed upon the trains de-
signated, and will designate man
in each party to be in charge of it
from each local concentration point
to destination.
"The American Railway Associa-
ton has been directed to prepare
schedules for the movement of each
of these parties from originating
points to destination. These are be-
ing prepared by the Passenger Asso-
Citations in conference with represen-
tatives of the Operating Depart
ments. They will show the date and
hour at which trains, either regular
or special, may be expected at each
point of local concentration to re-
ceive the men departing from such
point, together with schedule through
the destination in each case.
"When these schedules have been
approved by the Quartermaster Cen
eral, they will be furnished from
this office to all railroads and others
interested in the movement.
"The first movement will consist,
approximately, of 80 per cent from
each local concentration point, to-
tai of about 100000 men. 1t will
begin on Wednesday, September 5th,
and entrainment is to be completed
on Sunday, September 9th.
"The individual in charge of each
party will hold tickets for each men,
ber of such party and will also be
furnished with meal tickets, each
having the face value of\sixty cents,
sufficient in number to provide for