The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-03-19
BAKER VISITS
CAMP DODGE

CAM DODGE
Bio Event at Camp Dodge Last Week
Caused by Presence of Secretary
Baker and General March
NEW RECREATION ROOM OPENED
Room Completely Furnished by W. G.
r. v. Women-Officres Express
Appreciation for Comfortable Room
CAMP DODGE, March 15-(Special
to the Review)-The presence OF Sec
retary of War Baker and General
March was the big event at this camp
the past week. The visitors were en-.
tertained at dinner at the officers
mess hall and after a reception on the
part of the officers an inspection was
made of the centers Of greatest inter
est. The most important thing that
Mr. Baker wanted to know was the
system being pursued in discharging
the thousands of men sent here for
release from service. He was shown
that 1t takes four days to perform the
work necessary for release. He Of
fered some suggestions and by elm
mating some details that he regarded
as non-essential 1t was decided to
shorten the work so that probably 4S
hours will be sufficient time for the
essential work necessary. Mr.. Baker
and General March made careful in
spection of conditions at the base hos
pital where so many wounded men
from overseas are receiving treatment
Secretary Baker talked with number
of the men and urged them to remain
until they are cured, promising them
the best medical and surgical treat
ment that can be provided. The visit
Ors also called upon large number
of wounded men at Fort Des Moines,
Some of the worst wards were visited
and the wounded men expressed their
appreciation to Secretary Baker for
his visit.
The presence of the secretary OF
war and Gen. March at the camp here
came at the same time that official
announcement was made by the offi-
GERS here that fully 100000 men are
yet to be discharged from this camp.
Cantonment officers, who recently
conferred with officials in Washing
ton are authority for this statement.
1t Is pointed out that besides the
S8th division, now in France, a large
portion OF the 34th division and the
16Sth infantry, there are tens Of thou
sands Of other Yanks still in the ser
vice who Willsbe discharged because
their homes are In this territory.
1t Is believed that this camp will
be receiving casuals after nearly ev-
cry other cantonment has mustered
out its quota The maximum nlimber
designated by the war department for
discharge here monthly is 10000. Reg.
ular army men will be retained at the
camp, besides sufficient number Of
ment to efficiently handle the work IN
the discharge of the 10000 men each
month.
1t is thought also that Camp Dodge
will lead the list of cantonments when
the next comparative statement OF DIS
charges at the various cantonments is
sent out from Washington. Up to Sun
day, 69,6S7 soldiers had been muster
ed out at Dodge. The total for last
week was 4,2S4 and the biggest day
was Thursday when BIZ men received
their releases.
New Recreation Room at Camp Dodge
Formally Opened
The new recreation room IN bar
racks 1904 at Camp Dodge, for use OF
convalescent overseas men, was Tor
mally opened under the direction OF
Mrs. Mary Brubaker, hospital mother
at Camp Dodge, and the Iowa Womans
Christian Temperance union.
The room was furnished completely
BY w. C. T. u. women and is fitted
up with games and game tables,
couches, chairs, piano and phonograph.
Colonel Short and Captain McMehan,
who are in command of the conval-
escent barracks, expressed their ap-
probation to the women for providing
such comfortable recreation room
for the wounded soldiers.
A musical program was provided by
a quartet from the second regiment
band. Mrs. Dessa Carlton, w. c. T.
IT, hospital mother at Ft ,Des Moines,
brought musical talent from the fort
in the person of Sgt Victor Englund,
who sang several numbers. Miss
katherine Evans gave reading.
More than 300 soldiers and their
friends attended the opening. The
new recreation room will be open to
visitors Tuesdays and Fridays. The
w. C. T. U. members are anxious to
secure the services OF musicians and
readers on these days to help enter
tain the men.
$1,000 Men at Camp Dodge
The latest report shows about $4,000
men at this camp. The principal
enumeration belongs to the second d.
vision officers and men numbering lO,-
645 OF these 966 are overseas pa
tients at the convalescent center, 466
are overseas patients at the base hos
pital and 2,120 are casuals attached to
the depot brigade pending discharge.
The bulk of the remaining camp
strength is made up of the second In
fantry (regulars) with Sc officers and
1852 men, the labor battalion and ~
officers and 996 men, the camp provost
guard numbering 10 officers and 365
men, and the depot brigade with ap-
proximately 140 officers and 1,4O0 men.
There are some twenty-One other or
ganizations containing lesser numbers
but all constituting important cogs in
the camps peace basis" work.
A troop train on the Rock Island