The Elbert County tribune., 1917-07-20

/ house about 10000 men each-and
there are not more than $50 cities in
the entire United States Of greater
population-are now in process of
construction. These cities are the can
tonments in which the first American
selective draft army, of between 50O.-
600 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" so to speak, OF these 16 army
cities, are already hard at work, and
they must finish their Jobs by Septem-
Der l.
That the war department will sue
ceed 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
toament TO about 10000 men, necessi-
tating building problem involving
the construction of about 1000 houses,
all of them of considerable size, In the
| space of few weeks. The average
| ground area covered by each canton
ment will be between 1900 and 1000
acres, and the maintenance of the 10
cities is expected to entail an expendl-
ture which In one year will probably
total more than S120.000.000.
To feed the soldiers alone. who will
be trained in these cantonments, will
require in one year more than 2.oo0,-
900 bushels of wheat. more than S4,-
100000 pounds of fresh beef, and 49,
100000 pounds of fresh pork The
milk needed will total in a year more
than 10,50O000 gallons, and there will
be needed probably 2,500.000 bushels
of Irish potatoes, over $4,000 bushels
of onions, and over 2T5,00O,000 pounds
of other vegetables, such as cabbage,
| spinach, turnips, etc. In addition to
all this food for man are the oats
hay and other feed which will be
needed by the more than 100000
horses aAd mules which will be en-
ployed at the cantonments.
| GOCdLiOh OF tne Sltic6-
The 16 army cities will be located
near Aver. Mass. Yaphank, L. l..
Wrightstown, N. j.; Annapolis juno
ton, Nd; Petersburg, Va. Columbia,
S. c.; Atlanta, Ca; Chilllcothe, o. !;
Louisville, KY; Battle Creek, Mich. !;
Des Moines, Ia; Fort Riley. Kan. |;
Fort Sam Houston, Tex; Rockford,
H.; Little Rock. Ark, and American
Lake. Wash.
What the emergency means which
faced the war department following
the passage Of the selective draft law
and the announcement by President
Wilson that he would call to the col
ors the FIRST 100000 men of conscrip-
ton age on September l, can be under
stood, as was pointed out by an officer
of the quartermaster corps, by keep
ing in mind what happens in the ordi-
nary run of affairs during the con-
structioa of the average living house
The architect takes his time over the
plans, there Is plenty of time to look
about for contractor, and much time
is wasted waiting for materials.
Compare" says a war department
|
ence with the governments task of
providing in about twelve weeks bar
racks for about 100000 men, with wa
ter supplies, plumbing and heating
equipments, hospitals, storehouses, sta
bles. and shops in locations where
there was nothing at the time the site
was selected but meadow and grove
What private citizen would expect to
move Into house on September l on
which not n stroke of work had been
done on June 2"
Each cantonment will be a city of
orderly and properly laid out streets
and blocks, with complete sewerage
and electric lighting systems, railroad
yards, water lines and fire depart
ments, garbage incinerators, and hun
dreds of other conveniences necessary
in the life of any well-organized mod
ern settlement.
In the construction of the Panama
canal the governments expenditure
amounted to about S40,00O,oO0 Ii year
and for the cantonments probably as
much will be expended in four months.
Just about one month ago the officials
on whose shoulders was placed the
burden of making the cantonments
ready on time, started to solve the
problem. Involved in the task was
first of all the selection of the 16 sites,
the scientific planning and laying out
of the 10 cities, the purchase and the
assembling Of the materials. the draw
ing up of the contracts and the signing
up of the contractors. Also there was
the mobilization of the thousands of
carpenters, mechanics and other labor
ers, skilled and unskilled. and hun
dreds of other matters. some big. 9TH
ers small, and all Of which had to be
| settled in the shortest possible time.