The Pulaskian., 1917-06-15

designated by the War Department as tho cantonment for the training of regular United States troops which will be raised under the Conscription Act. At the time the decision was made. Memphis was warming up with 2 s450.OO0 fund to get into the game.
 The United States Government s prevented with 5000 acres of land inst north of Argenta and adjoining tbe St. Joseph Orphanage property and also just east of Fort Logan Il. Roots. by the citizens of Little Rock as part of the bargain. The citizens also agree to see that there is an am ple water supply, that electric connec- tions are provided, that the street cars. are extended to the site, and that inc creeks are drained and the camp made malaria proof.
 Tn exchange for this a division of regulars. which consists of 28,000 men. will be established at the camp site, with buildings erected to care for them. As the training period for the soldiers is ten months and of the first 1000. .OOO raised in the United States under the draft. 100000 will conc from Mississippi, Louisiana and Ark ansas. and be trained at the new camp, this means that new set will ap- pear each ten months for period of nearly four years.
 But this IS not all. With Fort Logan. II. Roots proper not considered in the new site, the government is ex- pected to utilize it also as it is an ideal camping ground, and there are already quarters for officers, besides many permanent buildings, and camp grounds have been cleared. This will probably be the training ground for the Eighteenth Division of the Nation al Guard, of which the Arkansas regl- ments are members. Thus another 28,000 men will be quartered near Ut tie Rock
 It is a fact that the government in all of it's dealings has figured on i'm provements to Fort Logan H. Roots, at the same time as of the new train ing site It has required that the com mittee make street car extensions 10 the post, as we'll as provide additional water and lighting facilities. As the site is distinctly separate from the new cantonment, the government could could have 1fo other object in requiring that the improvements be made.
 This would indicate that the gov ernment intends to maintain two diyi- sion camps, and as the improvements are permanent, the cansps will also be.
 Thousand Carpenters Needed.
 Some indication of the magnitude of the work of transforming the site into a camp can be given by com parison with Fort Logan H. Roots. When this camp was being male ready for the Officers Reserve Corps, 200 carpenters worked for six weeks erecting the necessary buildings. 1t is estimated that 1000 carpenters will be needed to get the buildings erected in time for the opening of the camp in September The government will ex- pend S30O0 900 on the site, aside from the $300,000 raised in Little Rock Besides the buildings for quarters the government will construct roads to the camp and build switch track from the Iron Mountain railroad.
 Ben C. McGehee, Little Rock con tractor, has been in Washington for two months, figuring upon the con struction of the necessary buildings for the cantonment, and he is expect nd f0 lnrdc WI0 come to superintend the clearing or the ground, and rush the buildings to completion.
 The fight for the cantonment has been lengthy one, and Little Rocks success is due to the excellence of the location, as well as the fact that it was on the ground first. About the time that George Firmin left the Rock Island Rail~oad to become secretary of the Little Rock Board of Com merce. war was declared and prepara tions wore being made for sites for concentration camps A reserve of- ficers' corps was provided for and Sec retary Firmin was first to visit Gen. Pershing to secure one of these rain ing camps He took the matter up with Gen. Leonard Wood, and Little Rock secured the camp.
 Firmin First On Job.
 It was while on this trip that Sec retary Firmin secured information about the big camps to be determined upon later. and he began speaking fo' one before the other cities were aware that such thing was to happen. MT Firmin dropped practically every thing else and went at his hunt for