Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-22
WAR DEPARTMENT
WILL BUY FIFTEEN
ARMY CAMP SITES
Thirteen Balloon and Fly
ing Fields Also to Be
Purchased.
CAMP LEE AMONG THOSE
SLATED FOR RETENTION
Stuart and Hill, at Newport
News, Will Be Abandoned
in Near Future.
LANGLEY TO BE MAINTAINED
CrowclI Indicates Majority OF Train
Ing Centcrs Will BE in
South and West.
CAMP LEE AMONG THOSE
SLATED FOR RETENTION
LANGLEY TO BE MAINTAINED
TRy Associated prrss +,


WASHINGTON. March 21.-Decision
OF the War Department 10 proceed
with the purchase of the sites of nf
teen army camps and thirteen balloon
and Tying fields over the country was
announced today by Acting Secretary
Crowen. Less than sl5,O00O00 will be
involved, Mr.. Crowell SAID. and IL Will
not DC necessary to await action bv
congress, as the department now has
the necessary funds.
with these purchases completed. tn.
army viii have thirty training camps.
including the original sixteen canton
mehts constructed for the training Of
me National Army. and nineteen avias
tion centers. most of which Will be In
the Southeastern States, Texas and
California The few fields to be re-
.aiheu in the North will be regarded
as summer flying centers only.
twenty seven camps and fifteen ayf
alton fields will be abandoned orders
already have gone out for the aban-
cluding nearly all of the National
Guard training centers set up after
the United States declared war on Ger
many. Construction work on tho
twenty-seVen camps. according to War
department. figures. represents cost
OF apoproximatcly Up S11o.oo0ooo. of which
barkation cnntonments-Mills New
York; Merritt, New Jersey, and Stuart
and Hell, Mt Newport News.
USING CAMPS NOW AS
DEMOBILIZATION CENTERS
Approximately s2S0,0oo.oc0 has been
spent in construction work on the fif-
teen cantonments to be bought ana
me- me hiteen now owned. and it was
largely because Of the sum involved
that the department decided 10 go
ahead with the purchase.
MOST OF the thirty camps are being
used as demobilization centers. hut no
haS ~ Ana, ,l1,,
ter the war. army is disbanded have
been evolved. 1t was explained that
the whole problem of the future use
OF the camps depended upon the ma
tons military policy. and no conciu-
sion as to that could be reached until
the peace conference at Paris had rem
ment Announcement already has been
made that only two flying fields ne
tually would be used In training army
aviatoSs in peace time. and others pur-
storage plants for material OH hand
or under contract.
Location of the dying centcrs 10 be
general training centers, one in the
Far West. one in the Southwestern
@ 's ws1 the nna ope eas K tine is
each section close enough together so
elementary and advanced training will
Total expenditures on the nineteen
dying and balloon fields to be retained
represent. about $4,000. 900.
WILL PURCHASE FIELD
FOR "DUSISESS REASONS"
Besides the fields to be bought for
military purposes. one other, Chapman
tteld fer III hEioriaa: also Will be purchased
sequently sold. The same procedure
will be followed in the case Of Camp
sewer South Carolina, which was
center
Mr., Crowell said it was cheaper for
Inc Inc goyernment ;en to- buy this field 1t
made against the government as the
result ssnrsPdr Of the closg building Of The camp.
ment had contemplated retaining
fa1ehurst that inn l,I rie!S: h on Long Island bu
much me monaH iaHd TSuid TSs ,ien cost entirely tee
field was piaced'at si.55o,O or nearly
twice the cost Of the site OF any OF the
chased. The government has spent So.
3iS,S9S on construction work at this
, neid, or considerably more than has
Langley Field virginia. to be- retained. unreG.
and Wilbur Wright Field, Ohio. to be
Plans of the war Department for
disposition OF the camps and dying
iiesd ne.aS h set sud,og up during the war as out
married. as follows:
CANTONMENT SITysS
RETAINED NY BAKER
--HCa antonment sites now owned by the.
government and to be retained. to-
on each:
The cantonment sites now owned
BY the government and to be retained
for special military purposes. together
with the cost OF construction of each.
follows: ~
/. p.oaighan Don 5an Oklahoma. National Guard.
EnsiIs; asn soo Virginia. coast artillery corps,
Funston. Kansas. neId artillery. s1o5oo 3
s5 c07 900. va ~. u
~ Iiumnhries. Virginia. engineers. sla.74,.-
Slti7. 900. eft
Johnson. Florida ouartermaster corp.
s6. 500 900. ~ ~,
S3S. 900. -
/. % S'S%,s. oSo. Washington. National Army. sa.-
a Mcclellan. sc Alabama. National Guard. sa,-
3, YSsS%Syle. SsG nSS Texas. motor transport corps,
Pike. Arkansas, National Army. 81. 100. 900.
Sill Oklahoma, feld artillery, --,---- - IS ~
TS 5nSsx, F'a:s a:sl.s ssss. Hs
National Army cantonments 20 he