Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-03-25
Amy CAMP SETTLEMENT.
Fifsee4 to Be Purchased and Twenty
to Be Abandoned.

Decibion Of the war department to
nroceeh with the purchase Of, the sites
of Is $rmy camps and 13 balloon and
flying Fields over the country was an
nounc& Friday by acting Secretary
Crowef Less than $15.0oo,ooo will be
involv&, Mr.. Crowcll said, and it will
not b9 Unnecessary to await action by
congreS as the department now has
the necessary funds.
With these purchases complete, the
army VIM have 30 training camps, in
cludin& the original 1s cantonments
consti led for the training Of the ma
tionai krmy, and 10 aviation centers,
most Of which will be in the south
easternx states, Texas and California.
The fey fields to be retained in the
north Htn be regarded as summer fly
ing cen ers only.
Twenty seven camps and 15 -ayia-
tion fields will be abandoned. 60,
Orders already have gone out Aof
the abandonment Of 20 Of the camps.
including nearly all Of the national
Guard training centers set up after the
United States declared war on Ger
many. lConstruction work on the 27
camps, taccording to war department
figures represents a cost Of approx
matelyE s1Oo,Ooo,ooo Of which s4a'-
900 900 was spent on the four en-
bcrkatipn cantonments-Mills, New
York, nd Merritt, New Jersey, and
Stuart Ind Hill, Newport News.
$2S,ooo 600 Expended.
Appr( (3imately s2s,0O0.000 has been
-pent n construction work on the Is
cantonrHents to be bought and the Is
,ow owned and it4was largely be-
,ause ofstffe sum insol we'd the depart
rasnsx5se eSfds6 "a ~ Aheaf -sntthA Afhs
purchase. Most Of the 30 camps are
heing used as rehabilitation centers,
hut no definite plans for their employ
ment after the war army is disbanded
have been evolved. 1t was explained
the whole problem Of the future use
If the camps depended upon the ma
tion's military policy and no conclu-
sion as to that could be reached until
the peace conference at Paris had rem
dered its decision as to world disarma-
ment-
Announcement already has been
made that only two flying fields actu-
ally would be used in training army
aviators in peace times and others
purchased or now owned would be-
come storage plants for material on
hand or under contract. Location OF
the flying centers to be retained shows
a plan to have three general training
ccnters, one in the far west. one IN
the southwestern part Of the country
and one in the southeast with the dif-
ferent fields in each section close
enough together so elementary and
advanced training win be provided
within a reasonable area Total ex-
penditures on the 19 flying and bal
loon fields to be retained represent
about s3OOOO,OOO.
To Buy and Sell Sewer.
Besides the fields to be bought Tor
military purposes, one other, Chap
man field, Florida, also will be pur-
chased "for business reasons" and sub
sequently sold. The same procedure
will be followed in the case of Camp
Sewer, s. c., which was used as a
national guard center. Mr.. Crowel'
said It was cheaper for the govern
ment to buy this field at the option
price of $5s7,s4O and sell it again than
to pay the damage claims made
against the government as the result
of the building Of the camp.
The total amount spent on Camp
Jackson at Columbia has been $4,000
900. The purchase price. on basis OF
options previously taken, will be $6Zo'-
90.
Camp wadsworth, which cost S4'-
100 90, is to be abandoned.