The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1917-07-05
Reasons Why Guard will Not
Train at American
Lake Given.
PALOALTO PROPOSED
Excuses, Though Sound, Do
Not Gibe With Talk Of
Cabinet Member.
BY Ashmun Brown.

+ Washington, July 8.--Here are the
reasons advanced to j. E Barnes. rem
resentatiye of the Seattle Chamber Of
Commerce, bf the war department to-
day TO explain its shift In plans under
which shift 1t now proposes to send
all of the national guard OF the twen-
tieth division, embracing Washington,
Oregon, Idaho. Montana and Wyoming,
into training camp at Palo Alto, CAL,
instead of to American Lake
ID 1t makes for a better distribu-
tion OF troops on the Pacific The
American lake cantonment is 10 take
care of the sixteenth division OF the
national army, that is all the con-
scripts hrawn from Montana, Idaho,
Washington, Oregon, California, Ne
vada, Utah, Wyoming. Arizona and
New Mexico, who will have to stay In
camp for many months, total Of
46,641 men.
Active Service for Guard.
GU It does no particular injury 10
the Pacific northwest, even though IL
takes the national guard OF those states
out of them, because II Is not contem-
plated to hold the national guard
troops In camp at Palo Alto more than
three months. This Is most signifi-
cant statement. as II clearly indicates
the purpose to move the national guard
from the far western states into some
active service by mid-Noyember The
troops Mt PalO Alto. the department
asserts are not to go in cantonment,
but are to be held under canvas.
(3) Under this arrangement the rail
way facilities Of the transc0ntinental
lines can be used to best advantage.
Thus, there are three divisions OF
troops to be raised In the states em-
braced In the western department,
namely, the twentietn national guard
division, specified above which IL to 20
In the tents at Phlo Alto: the nine
teenth national guard division, einbrac-
ing the states Of California. Neyada
(which has no national guard, Utah,
Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico,
which is to go into the tents at San
Diego, and the sixteenth national (con-
script} army, which is to 20 In canton-
ment at American Lake for prolonged
training. BY this distribution the
southern transcontinental lines. the
central and the northern viii each bear
part of the burden.
! Liggett Recommends Move.
] "a The selection OF Palo Alto as
the training camp for the twentieth
national guard division was recon-
mended by Brigadier General Hunter
ldggett, commanding the western de-
partment, and was approved by Secre-
tary Baker.
These are all excellent reasons They
I have nothing whatever to do with a
statement made to your correspondent
last week by member of the cabinet,
1 who said
! California is bringing tremendous
political pressure to bear to keep
American Lake from having two di-
! vision camp and insists on having two
for herself"
Still, the fact that the national
guardsmen Of the northwest have been
ordered out Of their own state for
training, just like the north Atlantic
states, who are required to go into
southern contonments, does not mean
/ absolutely that they viii have to go.
I Orders have been changed heretofore
i Thus, originally a cantonment was
scheduled for Petersburg, Va. Politi-
cal influence was brought to bear and
| Petersburg was abandoned by Secre-
tary Baker In order to place the can
/ tonment at Admiral, Md Virginia rose
I'm wrath, although IL did not quite
succeed. whereupon Secretary Baker
adjusted matters In the Atlantic states,
and gave camps to both Petersburg and
Admiral
i Representative Albert johnson, in
whose district the American Lake camp
site lies, and Mr. Barnes are mapping
out a gas attack on the war depart
ment to secure similar reversal in
behalf OF American Lake