Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-08-07
NE)s
CONDITIONS AT CAMP RARITAN

oon bonnen Recause what was said to be impossible did hap
~ tbe neon,e Of this vicinity have little faith in the statement
BY army officers and government officials that there is no dan
ger from the vast quantity of explosives stored at Camp Rar
itan.
That an explosion did take place at Camp Raritan we all
know, and even the officials in charge there, apparently 90 not
know how many lives were lost. What happened once1s naDle
to happen again in spite of every precaution that may Dc taken
land tbe government is not taking every precaution, by any
peans, as long as it employs civilian guards at the camp IN
stead Of having soldiers stationed there.
Because there is constant danger to this entire seouon IS
long as the explosives remain at Raritan no stone should be
left unturned in an effort to have it all removed. Assurances
pn the part of the officials amount to but little. The people
> convinced that the officials, as far as safety from explosives
dc not know any more than anyone else. In fact, even those
who nose as authorities" on explosives are largely discpedited
Since tbe Morgan disaster because some Of the things that the
leoturers at the Morgan plant said could not happen did hap
pen with surprising results.
There is but one way to assure safety for this section ana
that is to remove every pound of explosives away from TINS ;"
cinity and store it out on the desert somewhere where IL can
do no particular harm if it should go off. To have such an ar
senal located in the midst of the most thiokly populated SEQ
ton Of the country is crime that cannot be condoned'
There is every reason to believe that Senator Freling-
huysen is doing everything Within his power to remedy the
conditions here. No one is better acquainted with the state Of
affairs than he, but the War Department is inclined to Ignore
the protests and evidently intends to maintain the menace here
indefinitely. The only thing we can advise the senator's and
representatives at Washington doing is to keep right on max
~;pg their demands and bother the life out of the War Depart
ment officials until relief is given. 1t would not De nara !" S'
up a delegation of citizens to go to Washington, II necessary
to back up the demands Of the senators. The point Is, we nave
rot to keep everlastingy at this matter If we are to assure our
safety.
We are not unmindful of the fact that the munitions and
materials being returned from France have got to be landed
somewhere and perhaps Camp Raritan Is as convenient as any
other place for this purpose, although there are harbors FUR
ther away from the great metropolitan district that might
serve lust as well. But 1.-The material is TO be landed here it
ought TO be shipped on to another destination without being
stored.
The country has had its lesson In preparedness and we
do not want to be caught mapping again. All this unused am
muniion may come in handy some time, particularly If the
United States senate continues to hold up the peace treaty by
refusing to ratify it until all Europe is in flames again. Should
danger threaten, people would want to know what had become
Of all the munitions left over from the war just closed. That
it should be kept in storage there is no doubt but it should not
be stored in the heart of the most thickly populated section of
the country.
But in the meantime we are justified in demanding better
protection at Camp Raritan. This is a regular government
arsenal and as such ought to be guarded by REGULAR govern
ment troops just as any fort or other army posti Is guarded. In
fact, because Of the presence Of explosives at an arsenal 1t
would seem that even more precautions were needed.
While it is true that men who volunteered for military
duty for the period Of the war and the draft men ought not to
be heldsfor duty at such places, there are regular troops being.
brought home from France now who willremain in the service
even after the army is reduced to a peace footing. These men
ought to be stationed at such q place as the Raritan arsenal
where they will continue to be of great service, instead of bask-
ingin the heat of some army barracks on the western plains.
Within'the past week or two we know of at least one reg
iment of regulars that got back from France and was ordered
out to Iowa. What need there is for a regiment of regulars in
Iowa we cannot imagine, especially when a great government
arsenal, located right here in the metropolitan district, is
guarded only by a lot of civilians.
Now, If the government officials would only reverse the
order sending the munitions west and the soldiers east, we
would come somewhere near getting what we want and what
would tend toward the.safety of'this thioky populated COM
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