The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-09-05
CAMP DODGE
news LETTER
Military Camp at Oes Moines Is Now
Ready and Receiving the conscript
Soldiers, Who Will Train
ORGANIZING OF $500 OFFICERS
Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and North
Dakota Now Sending New Men
to loWa's Great Camp.


Division Headquarters, Thirteenth
Divisional Cantonment, Camp Dodge,
Sept. Especial to the Review
Camp Dodge and Des Moines are
ready and waiting for the 45,712 con-
script soldiers who will be trained
here for the first national overseas
army, United States expeditionary
forces.
For ten days Maj. Gen. Edward H.
Plummer, cOmmandante of the can
tonment, and his aides have been on
the ground, organizing the $500 OIL
GERS who recently won their shoulder
straps at Ft Smelling and other train
ing camps, to take charge OF the ci-
william mob" and whip it into mill
tary organization ''Over night
Barracks are ready for the COM
plete housing Of the first increment
OF 2 500, the vanguard OF the main
force. These first $500 will form the
skeleton of the division to the train
ed here. They will be in camp and
"at it. by September 10th. The sec
ond increment of forty per cent will
follow on September 10Th. Another
forty per cent will follow soon after
the first of October and the remainder
as soon thereafter as possible.
Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and North
Dakota are not sending their con-
script soldiers to forced communion
with the COWS and chickens in Iowa's
pastoral fields, to be isolated from
the warmth of the city. Neither will
they be set down in the middle of
temptations that usually beckon in
the city.
Camp Dodge, their home for the
winter, is just ten miles from the city
OF Des Moines with its population of
100000. 1t is thirty minutes ride on
the interurban and the soldiers will
be given fifteen minute service If they
require it. f.' p.
Des Moines is exceedingly dry"
1t went dry" three years ago by the
voluntary vote OF the city council.
C0uncilmsn, for the first time in q
city Of any size in the country, came
to the conclusion that the people did
not want saloons any more. So they
closed them all-and only the saloon
men complained.
Bootlegging is at minimum.
Booze" will be at geater premium
when the two companies of 300 con-
script soldiers 60 on duty patrolling
not only the city. but the roads and
avenues leading to the cantonment.
Des Moines abolished her redlight
district six years ago. She wiped it
out clean. She also bars cabarets,
but she has no objection to Sunday
theaters and amusements. And to see
that vice conditions do not deteriorate
with the arrival of the soldiers. May
or John MacVicar has created a
special "vice squad" whose, single
duty is to keep on the lid.
Des Moines has made great prepa-
rations to treat her soldier boys
right. There are seventeen commit.
tees at work all the time. each as
signed to a special task directed to-
ward the care and comfort Of the con.
scripts.
One of the committees was as
signed to transportation. Its first
accomplishment was to secure re-
duction in itnerurban fare from twen-
ty to ten cents for soldiers. Civilians
will continue to pay twenty cents.
AUOLlcl AOo oPSASN WV
large soldiers clubs in the down town
district where thousands OF books
will be available for the enlisted men.
Another committee, composed OF the
leading business men of the town,
stands ready to see that prices re-
main the same, both to the soldier and
the civilian. Another committee Is
listing every available hotel room and
apartment house and will maintain a
public bureau to find quarters for the
relatives and friends who come to
visit the soldiers.
The cantonment is situated in the
valley of the Des Moines river, stretch
ing over 1000 acres Of 1owa's prize
farm land. One thousand acres OF
growing corn was destroyed in the
building. Starting at the fashionable
Hyperion golf club, the cantonment
extends three miles up the valley,
which Major Abadie, chief supervis-
ing quartermaster of the war depart
ment, said furnished the best canton
ment site in the United States. The
great wooden barracks for the SOL
diers, two stories high and built to
house $50 men each, stretch in rows
OF four for two miles.
There are 1874 of the soldier bar
racks and when the entire camp IS
completed, more than 1000 wooden
buildings, stretching out farther than
the eye can see, will stand in the val
ley.
Camp Dodge has been awarded
remount station where 5000 horses
and mules will be cared for.
The physical welfare of the soldiers
will be more carefully safeguarded
than at any other cantonment. The
government is constructing a huge
base hospital at the cantonment to
care for $500 patients. In addition,
it has turned TT. Des Moines. the reg
mental army post near Des Moines,
into q general hospital where some of
the leading surgeons and physicians
of the United States will serve their
country
y M Troops VIII be furnished as follows
by thesyariOus states:
Minhesota-17 854.
lowa--l2,749. - !