The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-05-02
SECRETARYB0X
THINKSFARMER
WOULD BENEFIT
Suggests Bismarck Military Post
as Supply Station for
Farm Labor
SPEAKS OF ADVANTAGES
Central, Location, Freedom From
Disease and Invigorating
Climate
SPEAKS OF ADVANTAGES

Thomas Allan Box, secretary of the
North Dakota Council of Defense, to-
day addressed to Secretary of War
Baker letter strongly urging the use
of Fort Lincoln, at the outskirts of
Bismarck, as cantonment and train
ing camp. Secretary Box offers in ad
dition to the usual advantages of
healthful climate, good water, excel
lent moral surroundings, with a dry
belt from 200 miles to 1000 miles com
pletely encircling the fort, the fact
that Fort Lincoln Is situated in the
heart of Americas greatest coal belt,
where suffering for lack of fuel was alb
solutely unknown during the past whit
er, while work at other environments,
less faWorably situated, was handi-
capped. Secretary Box points out that
during the last three months when
there has been an epidemic of the
most virulent pneumonia at Camp
Dodge and in other environments sim
ilarly situated, there has not been
single death reported from this cause
at Biscmarak, in spite of the fact that
two of the largest hospitals in the
northwest, drawing patients from
North and South Dakota, Montana and
the provinces to the north, are locat-
ed here. Whittier pneumonia suffer.
ers, were there any in the district serv.
ed, naturally would come.
Box's Clincher.
But Box's clincher is this: Ten to
twenty thousand or more United
States national army troops quartered
at Fort Lincoln would be a splendid
reserve supply Of farm labor upon
which the agriculturits of the great
grain belt could draw during the har-
vest season. The government and the
soldiers themselvessawOuld be subject.
ed to comparatively little expenditure
of time and money for transportation
and other expenses; the soldiers at no
time would need be- more than ~
hours travelling from Fort Lincoln to
the most distant point in the wheat
belt which might have an emergency
need for men; the fact that large re-
serve supply of labor was centrally
stationed here would result the secre-
tary urges, in the saving of. many
thousands OF bushels sof grain (which
otherwise might be lost for lack Of at
tention at the proper time. Mrs. Bex's
letter to Secretary Baker follows:
- 1gi0}
Hon. Newton D. Baker, "a
Secretary Of War, 3
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir: AiEt5 an
In view of the fact that further
immediate increase OF American man.
power is under consideration, and
since our present cantonment and
training camps will not accommodate
any greatly increased number of
troops, and inasmuch as the establish.
ment of additional training camps and
environments will become advisable, If
not imperative, and whereas exper-
fence has proven that some of these
environments and training camps now
in use have not been judiciously 10.
Gated, owing to adverse physical and
climatic conditions, the North Dakota
Council of Defense requests your hon
ored consideration for the following
suggestions: 1870 -.'.
Splendid Army Post.
FIRST that the Federal Government
has in Fort Lincoln, at Bismarck, N.
D., splendid army post which should
not be allowed to remain idle in this
period of emergency.
SECOND, that this camp is so 10.
Gated that the present government re.
servation Of several hundred acres
could be easily increased to as many
thousand, accommodating barracks suf-
ficient to house many thousand men;
that the present group of buildings
could be used for administrative pur.
poses, warehouses, hospitals, ETC., with
very little alteration, ana that the
heating plant, lighting plant and other
utilities could with comparatively lit
tie expense be enlarged so as to take
care of a much larger establishment.
Third, that -ort Lincoln enjoys an
excellent water supply from the city of
Bismarck, where the already compare
lively pure water is treated under the
direction of state and federal chemists
rendering it chemically pure and clari.
flying it,; that the Fort is situated in
one of the most healthful zones in Am.
erica, where the climate both summer
and winter is salubriOus and invigor.
ating; that this territory is renarkab.
" free from epidemics of all kind; en-
tirely free from pulmonary troubles,
as may be deduced from the fact that
during the last two months, when
pneumonia, in most virulent form,
was epidemic in many parts of the
middle west, notably at Camp Dodge,
Bismarck's hospitals, among the larg-
est in the northwest, and serving a
population of more than half million
did not report single death from this
source; and far from least important,
the fort is located in community
whose moral tone is exceptionally
high, and which is surrounded on
every side by several hundred miles OF
prohibition territory. Js-.
Abundant Fuel. e,
FOURTH, that Fort Lincoln is locat
ed in close proximity to the, largest
coal bed in America, containing more
than 600 billion tons of workable lig-
mite, which is sold in selected sizes
at the mine at $3.50 the ton, and that
North Dakota of all north central
states during the past winter suffered
no coal shortage, no restriction of its
industries, no interference with its
systems and no discom-
fort nor inconvenience to its people.
Farm Labor Reserve.
FIFTH, that a reserve supply of farm
labor is essential to the proper har-
vesting of the largest acreage of cereal