The Washington herald., 1917-06-21


Reeommsadations Rejected.
Then the announcements stopped.
No further word was heard concern
ing the nine camps, 70 be established
. IN Gen Woods department. Time
passed rapidly, until Il d less than q
month before the first National
Guard regiments are scheduled to 90
into Concentration camps.
The reason for tho delay became
public yesterday. It was declared
that Immediately he was ordered to
9iect camp sites, Gen. Wood. with
the yigor which ehafacterized his
actions both as. chief-of-stan and
commander OF the Department of the
East. at Governors Island. sent out
a number Of his stan officers to To-
cate camp sites. They made their
reports TO him and he immediately
went over the territory they had
toured. checking up on their recon-
mendatfons and approving them in
toto.
Then he sent the recommendations
70 Washington They contained what
in Gen Woods opinion were the best
sites in the Southeastern part of the
United States for the nine camps, but
every Recommendation was for a site
in the State Of Georgia. II the nee.
concentrations for these nine sites
had been approved eleven Of the
twelve camps in the Southeastern
Department would have been In
Georgia.
Wind Of Gen. Woods recommends
tions reached the ears of Congress-
men from other States in the depart
nent, which extends as far West as
Louisiana and as far North as the
Virginia border A bombardment of
protests shook the War Department.
The General stan was set upon front
and rear by Congressmen whose
states we're hungry for site plums
aud who were determined t1Rt tn
States appetite should be Gratified
IN order that the States might not
lose taste for the Congressman when
the next election rolled around.
such storm Of protests reached
Ad1t- Cen Henry +. Mccain and
Mai Gen. Tasker H. Bliss, acting
Chief-of-staff, that they wired to
zen "OOu pointing OUT InaL all MS
selections had been for Georgia sites
and urging him to reconsider them to
an extent at least Gen. Wood wired
back that he stood absolutely by his
original recommendations; that the
sites recommended offered the best
facilities and met the primary re-
quirements OF pure and sufficient
water, easy transportation facilities
and a short haul to points of embark
alton on the seaboard at Savannah
and Charleston
Gen. Woods Task In Vain.
Then, under pressure here. IL was
stated yesterday. the department Or
dered Gen. Wood to recommend a new
set OF sites. He was forced to do his
work all over and is still at 1t, while
the moment when the troops will be
moving to the camps-nov not even
on paper-draws near. 1t was under
day afternoon that Gen Wood had
tstltatively selected six of the nine
camps, two each to be located in
Georsta. Alabama and South Caro-
lima. The Alabama locations will en-
tail long extra railroad haul, while
outside of a few places South Caro-
lima is understood to offer no suit
able facilities for a camp of 40, 900 men
a camp larger than most Of her
cities.
Meanwhile the Militia Bureau is
completely at a standstill. No arrange
ments can be made with the railroads
for transportation until the camp sites
are selected. and no tentage and other
materials can be shipped until some
place TO ship them is determined upon.
From the appearance Of things last
night the mobilization of the incre-
ments ordered out on July Is, may
have to be postponed. The second and
third increments, ordered out on July
. and August are in little better
position
The prospects are that the camps
may be so delayed that the War De-
partment either will be obliged to de-
lay moving the guardsmen to Europe
at the time planned, or that the men
viii be sent overseas without the
period Of intensive training planned
for them and will have to go to France
green for trench preparation there.
DpEeJnENT DEMkNDo