The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-07-21
''C|I|ES" FOR ARMY.
HOMES FOR 100000 MEN TO BE
READY BY SEPT. 4.
Each CantOnmcnt In Sixteen Military
Cities In Various Parts OF the COun-
try Will Have Il Thousand Houses.

Sixteen great military cities, which
when completed will house about 40
600 men each--and there are not
more than $50 cities in the entire
United States of greater population
are now in process of construction,
says the New York Times. These
cities are the cantonments in which
the first American selective draft
army. of between 100000 and 6OO,-
900 men will receive their preliminary
training i'm this country. prior to their
transfer overseas to the allied battle
fronts in France. The contractors to
whom the contracts have been let
for the building overnight so to
speak, of these sixteen army cities,
are already hard at work, and they
have less than nine weeks ahead i'm
which to finish their jobs.
That the war department will sue
ceed in making good and that each
of these new cities will be ready on
schedule time for the more than 80,
600 draft men, who will be ordered to
them for training. is the belief of ev-
cry officer in the army. Army Off
GERS and regular army enlisted men,
with several thousand civilian en-
ployees added, will bring the popula-
tion necessitating a building prob
lem involving the construction of
about 1000 houses. all Of them of
considerable size. in the space of but
a few weeks. The average ground
area covered by each cantonment will
be between 1900 and 1000 acres, and
the maintenance Of the sixteen cities
is expected to entail an expenditure
which in one, year will probably total
more than $12O.OOO.OGO.
To feed the soldiers alone. who will
be trained in these cantonments, will
require in one year more than 1000.
600 bushels of wheat, more than S4,-
100000 pounds of fresh beef. and
42.OOO.OOO pounds Of fresh pork. The
milk needed will total in year
more than 1O.50O.OOO gallons, and
there will be needed probably $780,
600 bushels Of Irish potatoes. over
$4,000 bushels of onions, and over
275,000,O 900 pounds of other vege-
tables, such as cabbage, spinach, tur-
nips. etc. In addition to, all this food
for man are the oats, hay. and other
feed which will be needed, by the
more than 100000 horses, and mules
which will be employed at the canton
ments.
The sixteen army cities will he 10.
Gated near Aver, Mass: Yaphank, l..
L.; Wrightstown. n. j.; Annapolis
Junction, Md: Petersburg. Va; CO.
lumbia. s. c.; Atlanta, Ga; Chilli
cothe. o.: Louisville. Ky; Battle
Creek, Mich; Des Moines, las Fort
Riley. Kans.; Fort Sa IN Houston,
Tex. Rockford. H.: Little Rock. Ark,
and American Lake. Wash.
What the emergency means which
faced the war department following
the passage Of the selective draft law
and the announcement by President
Wilson that he would call to the col
Ors the first 100000 men of conscrip-
tiOn age on September / can be un-
derstOod. as was pointed out by an
officer of the Uuartermaster corps, by
keeping in mind what happens in the
ordinary run of affairs during the
construction of the average living
house. The architect takes his time
over the plans. there is plenty of time
to look about for a contractor, and
much time is wasted waiting for ma
terials.
Compare says war department
memorandum. this every day ex.
perience with the governments task
of providing i'm about twelve weeks
barracks for about G0O.O 900 men, with
water supplies. plumbing and heating
equipments, hospitals. store hous IS
stables and shops i'm locations where
there was nothing ut the time the site
was selected but meadow and grove
What private citizen would expect to
move into house on September / on
which not stroke of work had bee.
done on June L?
Each cantonment will be city
orderly and properly laid out strect:
and blocks, with complete sewerage
and electric lighting systems. railroa
yards. water lines and fire depart
ments. garbage incinerators and hun