The Washington herald., 1917-07-19

Admiral. Nd. July 1S.-You've prob
ably read in the Arabian Nights
Tales" of that wonderful and fearful
creature. the Geni. who had only to
wave his hand to make whole cities
rise from nothing. or disappear as
quickly.
There's need for such an Individual
down here in Anne Arundel County,
for in a wide stretch OF rolling farm
land measuring roughly twenty-four
square miles Camp Meade, a city of
more than seven hundred buildings.
great and small, capable Of housing a
body of forty thousand men, must
spring into being within the next six
weeks.
For when that number OF young men
from Philadelphia and points in south
ern Pennsylvania are called to the
colors as a result of the selective
draft on September l, these waving
-- fields, which now are sOwn with corn,
beans and other provender that au-
thorities in Washington say is so
sadly needed to keep the wolf Of
famine from the door of the world.
must undergo an almost miraculous
transformation.
All Kinds of Buildings.
There must be barracks for sleeping
quarters. mess halls, kitchens, hos
pitals. recreation buildings. stores,
warehouses. stables. garages. tele-
graphs stations. post Offices and vir-
tually every kind of structure that
can be fouEd In u city housing such
a body OF men.
To accomplish this whole great
stretches OF woodland must be des-
4
streams diverted, wells sunk. bridges
built and water. sewase, drainage,
lighting and telegraph and telephone
systems installed.
To the layman it is an utter impos-
sibiIity to contemplate such a vast
work being finished at the specified
time when so little has been done.
Many engineers stationed hare admit
that they have their doubts as to
whether such a marvellous change can
be produced in such a short time.
Men working on the task express the
same feeling.
But at the head Of the entire opera
tion is a man who is an inspiration.
a man with whom it Is impossible to
talk many minutes without agreeing
that Campo Meade will rise from moth
ing in six weeks
He is Mai. Ralph +. Proctor, IA
mus Baltimore civil engineer who
gave up his civilian work TO enter the
service and assume the great tasks
that Uncle sam has produced for MS
enEineers to solve.
IN be ready for you Philadelphians,
as soon as you are ready for me- Is
the assurance he gave in the face or
the fact that a tremendous amount
OF work still is ahead.
= = THn1V rnlrNv
small amount OF construction. Our
tasks have been to plot out the whole
place and start in the clearing work,
and assemble all our forces.
I'VE were forced to make a late
start. something that could not be OBJ
waited. hut by the time the boys begin
TO arrive We shall have completed all
Of the barracks. the mess halls, kitch-
ems. and the various necessities. The
men then will be properly housed and
within a few more weeks after that
all the smaller details will have been
completed.
Long before these men are ready to
do actual intensive training, and long
before the cold arrives they will be
snuSly enscOnced in what l believe
will be the finest camp in the world.
Conditions Ideal.
"I do not believe there will be an
other like it for here we have ideal
conditions. the finest and most equa-
BILE climate, absence Of diseases. and
MOSQUITOES, freedom from cities and
even small towns. a totally dry
county, and facilities that no other
camp will enjoy"
Plainly Major Proctor does not un-
derestimate the great tasks that are
facing him. but he does highly es-
TEEN the men working with him. He
SAYS that his military and technical
forces are a joy to handle, his work
men are cheerfully doing their lot
and are conscious of the fact that
patriotic efforts are producing some
good to the nation.
But give Company B, Engineers
the boys from Philadelphia, the palm
for work." sums up Major Proctor,
in discussing his staff.
These young men have been doing
most Of the work that has been ac-
compIished up to this time. have
called them in for the map making,
the plotting. the entire ground work.
and they have shown skill in things
that make great military engineers.
They've surely earned their spurs. 3"
Now you have a summary of the
great bpLedu VI the pFOpoSlllOns lHe
details that must be completed in six
weeks. and the assurance Of the re-
sponsible head that 1t must be done.
1t took me all day to find that out,
and before / had learned Il, l must
confess that 1 agreed with those who
shook their heads in doubt.
That is what l found. At the little
station of Admiral. a collection of two
score frame houses, and a country
store. on q little spur line of the
Baltimore, Washington and Annapo-
lis electric road, two miles from Oren-
ton. a junction on the Pennsylvania
Railroads main line south. is the en-
trance to the new military reserva-
tion.
There's an utter absence of hustle
and hustle. The contractors head
quarters and employment Office seem
to be doing a fair business with the
arrival Of each train, but otherwise
there is little out Of the ordinary.
A short step up the road is a frame
building erected at a junction of three
roads. 1t stands on a high point and
surveys in all directions trim farms
and orchards that soon must fall be-
sore the approach of the warrior.
This is the headquarters of the MILL
tary and technical force, for there
Maj. Proctor has established himself.
Inside Is perfect hive of industry,
while the road for a hundred yards
either way 10 lined with motorcars
OF szii shapes and vintages.