The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-03
PURCHASE OF ALL CANTONMENT SITES
 UP ID CONGRESS
Baker to Seek Views of Con- gress on Question of Pur- chasing Land on Which
 Camps Are Located
Fly Associated Press

Washington. January 2.-Secretary Baker said today he intended to seek the views of Congress on the question ot purchasing the land on which army can comments are located. He said the war department thought some of these camps should be made permanent and that it would cost about S12ooO,oOO to acquire the sites already approved for this pur, pose. The matter will be brought up by the secretary when he appears tomorrow before the House military committee.
 Senator Borah, Idaho, speaking in the Senate earlier in the day expressed the hope that Mir Baker would not havs these sites purchased without consulting Congress. Democratic Leader Martin said in his opinion no funds were avail able and additional legislation would be necessary.
 Secretary Baker would not disclose what training camp sites had been rec commended by the general staff for per manent retention. He said specifically however. that the disposition of flying fields was not now involved.
 The secretary indicated that this pro- gramme had no relation to recommenda- tions that may be made at some future time with respect to the permanent mill tary policy, Since there is to be mill tary establishment in any case, he said, the acquisition of several of the canton ment sites would be of benefit to the service He added that they could be used for summer mobilization or for d1- visional or even larger maneuyers as eX- isting permanent facilities for the army do not provide any post where quarters or grounds are extensive enough fot these purposes.
 COMPLETE BILL SHORTLY
 Within the next few days, Mir Baker said, the army war college will com plete the army reorganization bill upon which it has been working and he then will seek hearings before the military committees to take up the proposals. l. is now understood that the war college bill embodies the general staff and de- partmental reorganization plans in addi- tion to the necessary legislative Rrov1- eions under which tables of organization for the regular army can be issued, but there is nothing to indicate that it goes beyond the regular army or touches the question of permanent military policy.
 It has been held at the war department that this cannot be presented until pro- ceedings at Versailles have gone far enough to show what military force it would be wise for the United States to have always available for quick mo- Utilization.
 Many auxiliary services and units were created during the war for which there is no authority in the regular military statutes.
 The new act will give opportunity for these to be given permanent status and also will state the views of the army It. self as to the stress to be laid upon such new branches of the military estab- lishment as the air service. Incidentally, the whole question of the future of the army air service, whether it is to con- tinue as a separate branch or be again amalgamated with the signal corps, will be taken up.
 With the presentation of the reorgani zation bill, the congressional committee vill be told of the detailed expenditures to be made under the appropriations al ready submitted. These provide for 8 regular army of half a million men roughly.