The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-07-28
BEST FOR TiiE MEN.
Secretary Baker Tells Why Troops
Train In South.

outdoor training in the early winter
is departments reason for choosing the
South as the training ground for the
National Guard. This letter was in re-
sponse to an inquiry from Senator
Weeks.
Mr.. Baker pointed out that the in
ability to get sufficient tonnage for
the transport OF troops abroad be-
fore winter sets in made it neces-
sary to send the National Guard to a
climate where they might have out
of-door training in the early winter
months. Before the winter ends, he
said. he expected that all the Nation.
al Guard would be on the way to
France. The letter follows:
1T is intended to send the National
Guard. or such units thereof as are
properly equipped and trained, to Join
the American expeditionary forces in
France, before the additional forces
authorized by the selective draft ac.
now called the national army, can
be sent. When the plans for mobiliz.
ing those two forces were drawn, it
was not known how soon the National
army could be assembled under the
draft. The National Guard having al
ready in its possession some equip
ment, and' having, after several
months service on the border, re-
ceived a certain measure of training,
it was believed that that force could
be more promptly dispatched to
France than the National Army,
which at the time the plans were ap-
proved had not been authorized by
congress-. M
"Plans for the dispatch of our fore
es to France depend not only on their
training and equipment but also upon
the availability of sufficient tonnage
for transportation. Had it been pos
sible to procure before winter, trans
portation to France for the National
Guard Of all States in the North, it is
quite possible that my advisers would
have recommended that the National
Guard be placed in environments in
the North. Had such a plan been pro-
posed and given effect and tonnage
been sufficient, the approach of win
ter would have found the National
Guard in a climate where out-of-door
training would have been impractical
BILE.
1T would then have been neces-
sary, after $0nslderable expenditure
for the construction OF cantonmeIts
to transport them to the South, build
new cantonments, and possibly return
them to Northern harbor for en-
barkation. Hence it was decided to
construct cantOnment shelter for the
National Guard in the South.
After sites had been selected for
many Of the divisions Of the National
Guard and for the National army it
was reported by the officer in charge
of cantonmcht construction that, due
to thep rice of material, the sum of
money appropriated for cantonment
construction would be sufficient for
only about half the number (32) of
environments planned. 1t was also re-
ported that the construction Of half
the number of cantonments could be
complete by Sept. 1. 1917. but not
by July. he month in which it had
been planned to call the National
Guard into military service. This
month was selected because, due to
the lack of clothing and other equip
ment. it was believed mpracticablc
to complete the eqipment of the reg
ular army with all it's incrcments, be-
fore July. and it was not desirable
to call the National Guard before il
was possible to supply the necessary
equipment.
Because of the impracticability of
constructing thirty-twO cantonments
with the funds appropriated it was de-
cided, as the National Guard had then
in it's possession a certain amount of
tentage, and the war department
could reasonably hope to supply the
necessary complement by the end of
July, to place the National Guard
under canvas in order that their
training might not be longer delayed,
and to confine the cantonment con-
structiOn to the sites selected in va
rious divisional areas for the National
army.
You correctly assume that it hop
cd to send the National Guard TO
France within n reasonable time. but
it is manifestly impracticable. with
the limited tonnage available, TO