Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-01-16
Atlanta to Make Fight for
Greet Divisional Armoy Post;
Would Bring go, 900 Here
Committee Appointed to Lead
Fight for. Designation After
Address by Major General
Leonard Wood

committee appointed by the Atlanta
chamber of commerce, viii begin Mon
day making plans to have Atlanta des-
ignated as a location for one of the
three divisional posts, accommodating
10000 men, assigned to the Atlantic
seaboard by the war department under
the provisions of the new defense act,
calling for a complete reorganization
and distribution of the nations land
forces.
The fight for the post for Atlanta def
nitely began Sunday morning at break
fast given to Major General Leonard A.
Wood, former chief of staff of the
United States army, by the Atlanta
chamber of commerce at the Capital
City club, when the general outlined in
detail the plan of the government for
the establishing of a post in what is
officially known in army circles as the
Atlanta Chattanooga division of the At
lantic seaboard
The general spoke in a straightfor
ward, clean-cut manner, telling just eX-
actly what the requirements for the
camp were and what would be the final
tests of each site proposed. The control
ling considerations are. according TO the
general, first, the railroad facilities
that is. the number of trunk lines that
are able 70 handle large bodies of troops,
north, east, south and west in the snort
est length of time.
SDur lines could be run to the camp
and bring the troops to central dis
tributing point, but the camp must be
located in a place where troop move
ments can be made in any direction
without delay and also where supplies
can be brought without delay in case
one line of communication should De
cut.
The second consideration is the eli
mate No place could be considered
where the heat became so intense as 20
render it impossible to work soldiers to
a training point at any time. The camps
are fundamentally for war training.
This statement would imply that towns
along the gulf which suffer from a low
humidity and intense heat will be eliml-
mated at once.
The third point is the strategic loca-
ton of the post. No place would be
preferred thai would be near a probable
landing place of an attacking force. This
would necessarily eliminate all coast
towns. The general showed that the
place must be where it would not oe
harrassed by hostile troop actions, as
the post would have to be used for the
training of citizenry troops in time of
war and no time could be allowed for
these troops in defending their post In
a sense according to the general, the
post in time of war would be in the ma
ture of factory for turning out troops
to take the firing line as soon as they
were in condition.
The physical consideration of the
Camp site were then handled, the mini
mum amount of land required being
1000 acres. with it practically neces-
sary for the post to have $500 or more.
The land should be of a rolling type,
very little clay, easily drained and adj
jacent to territory sparsely settled, for
a radium of fifteen or twenty miles IN
order that there might be as little in
convenience and damage done as pos
sible, by the maneuverngs of the TO-
900 men who would be stationed at the
post.
The nearness of the camp TO streams
and land suitable for the disposal of
sewage is also an important factor.
This would comprise the main camp
site, where the troop dormitories and
all buildings housing the accoutrements
would be located
The outlay of the camp also calls for
a rifle range of a thousand yards. This
will probably be on the original tract.
There will also be an artillery range.
This will be built where there are very
few people, as the range will have to
be at least eight miles in length. This
range would not necessarily have to
be near the camp. Two or three days
march from the camp would be a good
distance, said the general