Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-03-09
SRUWA[ 1El I
or SOLDIER CITIES

N4.oA hNNS tN' n SUN'eH7te N'2 fHtsNN 49,
plishcd BY The United States govern
ment in erecting thirty-two soldier
cities for the new National Army
and for the mobilization Of the Ma
tional Guard troops, IS picturesquely
set forth BY William Joseph showal-
ter In communication 70 the Nation
II Geographic society part Of
which was issued today az che fol-
lowing war geography bulletin
There Is no record Of what Uncle
sam said to the builder Of his sol
cier cities. but the facts in the case
would have warranted hts giving
these instructions;
81 have placed in the treasury OF
the United States, subject to your
order, sum OF money which IS
equal to all the gold produced by all
the mines Of the world during the
past year With this money want
YOU to house my armies while get
them into shape. In the first place.
want you TO build 16 great military
icities in as many sections Of the
country. These l6 cities must be cap
able OF housing population equal
TO the combined population Of Arr
zona and New Mexico There must
also be stable room to care for as
n;any horses as there are in the,
state Of Oregon
furthermore, you must estab-
lish hospitals TO take care OF as many
sick and wounded people as are TO
pe found in all the hospitals west Of
the Mississippi River in normal
tines.
"'Nor IL that ALL You are to pro-
vide all OF the mess halls and other
general buildings for All Of the 10
National Guard mobilization camps.
And while you are doing that you
will not forget your regular work OF
expanding and keeping in repair
the housing facilities Of the regular
army posts
Nor Will you overlook the fact
that as soon as all that work Is un-
der way YOU will be expecred to un-'
dertake the construction Of the two
big concentration camps from which
the American army will embark for
France and through which its sup.
plies will reach the front.
"'Yes, ! know II Is a large ORDER
II fact, tremendous proposition
but these are tremendous times. and
Ill have TO ask you to execute It
within four months. or course. rea-
lze that you will, in it's execution.
spend the money three times as fast
NJ the world mines It's gold. but at
the same time expect you to rem
der an account which will show
that every penny has boIuruDAn
est burden
a Notable Achievement IN the His
tory Of Building
Such was the order. II has been
executed az the American Army has
executed its orders--to the letter!
"The story Of the 16 National Ar
my environments surpasses anything
else in the history Of building Such,
indeed has been the transformation
brought at these cantonments that
ire wo-ld nirht well have believed II
marie va = mt heard the ryfh-
t,ws cf $1,000 Aammers driving
ane 100 miles ~ nails a day; had
7 not seen enough lumber 90 from
TIE country's mills to these camps
t., make boardwalk four feet wide
runners and all-from Palm Beach
t. Bagdad via Bering Strait and the
Arctic Circle; had It not Witnessed
the movement OF their sites OF enough
material and supplies to load a
string OF cars reaching from Port
land, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, via
Boston, Cleveland Chicago. Mime.
7polis and Spokane.
Consider weekly pay roll as
lurge as the monthly pay roll at Pan
mas when canal workwas II high
tide, and paid of in two hours.
where three days were required to
nay off the big ditch force. Reflect
upon the fact that the expenditure
Tor the 16 environments for the month
Of August was $4,000 ,000--nearly
rlne tons Of gold, or more than was
ever paid out in whole year on the
Panama Canal, until now the worlds
greatest undertaking!
with the sites selected and LOO Of
the biggest sawmills in the United
States turning logs into planks, joists
fafters and studding at an incredible