El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-09-17
Fl pASO OFFERS AN IDEAL PLACE
FOR ARTILLERY TRAINING CAMP
L W Al

All DIsoss in the southwest suited for artillery
range and cantonment FL Paso IS the place. 4L me
- army board Of selection need not look over Ine
tbcv settled districts Of north Texas and southern O
lahoms when range right here waiting 1oI them anu
when abandoned military camps be made habltaole IoI
troops minimum Of time and at very little expense
If the department were pressed for time II eoua
plant division Of artillery here IN two weeks ana oesn
training at Under emergency eonaiuons me 0aP
~ FL Psso would be considered ready and waiting we
had upward 10000 troops here last year ana most OF
the work done encsmp them still stands though the gov
eminent has torn many of the structures used year
ago and sent the material elsewhere Considerable OF II
piled up and burned IN this day when everybody IS
talking conservation and there IS need IN the land uen
of the timber used the camps about Fort Bliss was &C
tuav piled Up and the match applied when the work OF
demolition started It incredible, but IS true
Still many of the temporary shelters remain ana me
camp sites al in condition The ground all leVeleo
Water pipes all laid Most Of the mess shaeKs ana
other sempermanent buildings s stand 1neIe are even
hundreds Of boarded up tents awaiting occupancy Under
present circumstances however the department prob
ably would prefer to take little more time and make
further improvements before moving large number OF
The main thing to be impressed the army board is
that the most essential work already has been done and
need not be undertaken elsewhere
The artillery ranges are all that be desired. The
artillery troops which been here have out IN sew
sa directions from Fort Bliss and Camp Stewart for their
practice An almost ideal place northwest Of Fort
Bliss the artillery used to shoot against the noun
tain The artillery used shoot out east Of Fort Bliss
where the wide eXpanse Of plain obvaed the danger OF
hitting anyone third place between Fort Bliss and
Yseta Anywhere II the region above named trenches
might Be laid ont for artillery targets and desired bsages
might be built up at the commanders pleasure without
dsngering life properly There Is better place
where in TIE United States for artillery work than east
north or northwest Of Fort Extraordinarily northwest
and atmospheric conditions for observation are ideal
The point has been made that the government ought TO
be offered tie land desired for artillery range free Of charge
and that ssmontion must be emphasized Let the board
pick its Own range in this vicinity anywhere in the vide
district above mentioned and then give the government fre
use Of II II the land has to be rented and the rent paid
y the citizens of Fl Paso, 90 be It.
However range picked By Gen Scott soma months ago
IL on II
miles northwest Of Fort Bliss and its occupancy would cost
nobody anything
If it is Impossible bTng the artillery closer TO 81
Psso the suggestion this tract be offered the govern
ment is excellent The main thing IS for Fl Paso to work
unremngy through its Washington agent the chamber
Of commerce and the congressional delegation to get It
There comparison between the advantages offered
by Fl Paso for such range and the meager advantages Of
fered elsewhere east Of here.