Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1919-03-28
CAMPS TO BE BOUGHT.

CAMPS TO BE BOUGHT.
Camp Meade will be purchased BY
the Government. the price fixed be-
ing S350.000. The Maryland canton
ment is included in list Of national
army training camps, which Acting
Secretary of War Benedict Crowell
announced late Friday afternoon
are TO be acquired. The list includes
Camps Bragg. North Carolina; Gust
CIR. Mich; Devens, Mass; Dix, n. J..
Dodge. Iowa; Gordon, Ga: Grant.
ILL.,; Jackson. S. c.; Knox. KY;
Meade. Md. Pike. Ark; Sherman,
Ohio; Taylor, Ky; Upton. n. Y:
Holobird and Mcclellan, Alabama.
A fund of approximately s9.5OO.-
600 is available, Secretary Crowell
| stated for acquiring all the canton
! ment sites, all of which, are now
| held under lease to the government
In addition a certain number of avi.
alton fields are to be purchased.
bringing the total. amount of land
purchases up to approximately $12,-
100000. No National Guard camps
are to be acquired. however. with the
exception of Camps Sewer, Kearney
and Vail.
Secretary Crowell made II plain
that the acquisition of these sites
has been determined upon entirely
apart from any consideration OF the
future military policy Of the govern
ment. While he agreed that the
environments would continue to- be
used for perhaps two or three years
longer in connection with demobIfi-
cation, and could in many instances
be availed Of as training centers in
the event that Congress adopts a pol
icy of universal military training.
the moving factor IN the decision
was one of sound business policy.
AS against the estimated purchase
price Of s9,500,006 for the sites.
claims for damage to the properties,
which the property owners would be
entitled to- collect If the sites were
returned TO them, aggregate already
something like $5,5OO,0OO. More
over. 1t Is provided in each lease.
that before surrendering the proper
ties to their owners, the government
shall restore them to the condition
IN which they were at the time they
were leased. Most Of the ground
was farm land, According to Secre-
rary CrOwell, the Government has
expended in the Improvement of
the sites for oantonment purposes
approximately $3.50, G06, 600. or
th1s amount approximately 100000
600. or nearly a third. represents
work under ground, such as sewers,
water mains, conduits, etc. To re-
store the ground to the condition
OF farm land, would involve rip
ping up Of all this underground work
and almost total loss OF the $780,
100000.
Therefore it has been decided by
the War Department that even if the
environments are not permanently
required for military purposes, the
Government could ultimately dispose
CT the sites, at a profit, for town
and suburban lots, in which event
the underground investment would
enhance the saleable value of the
land. Legally, Me. CroweH said, the
war Department is convinced that
such procedure is feasible, but If
there should be question the Depart
ment is convinced that Congress
would not hesitate to Iegalize it.
Whether universal military train
ing Is adopted Ivy this country or not,
however, the chances are, in, the
opinion Of the military men at the
War Department, that many can
tonments will be Of use to the army.
Assuming that the standing army
is bound to be larger than the pre-
war footing Of 100000, it is explain
ed, it will probably be the policy
OF the General Staff henceforth to
keep the force concentrated in larg-
err units such as divisions. rather
than have it scattered by regiments
and battalions in small posts allover
the country. 1t is realized that the
army has lacked in the past for ma
neuvers on large scale, the first
approach toward such maneuvers
HbeinS few years back. when the
regular army began holding brief
| summer drills with the National
Guard outfits.