Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-05-16
BOARDS In WAR
CAMPS WOULD
co P ASTMOON

WASHINGTON, May 16.-(By Asso-
ciated Press. EVEN in America, the
greatest builder of the past" no feat
of construction has ever approached
that involved in the completion in 80
days of 16 cantonments for the nation
al army and Is tent cities for the ma
tional guard, says the official war
"materieI' history made public today
by the war department. The task in
volved the erection and equipment of
80 cities capable of accommodating
10000 persons each, with all the requi-
site water, lighting, sewerage, hospit-
al and heating utilities, and in add
ton the preparation of the strictly
military features, such as parade
grounds and rifle and artillery ranges.
The creature comforts enjoyed by
the American soldier of 1917 is con-
tlasted with those afforded the men of
'61-'65 Substantial barracks, heated
by steam or stoves, took the place of
of tents; chemically pure water re-
placed that secured from the casual
spring or stream; scientific laundries
cared for the national army recruits
clothing, and field bakeries gave him
the modern successor to the ashy hoe
sake.
To Moon and Half Way Back.
Lumber used in the environments
alone the report says, was equivalent
to board walk IL inches wide and one
inch thick ito the moon and half way
back while the nails of one popular
size would "girdle the earth IL
times"
The race between the contractors
to complete the environments in the
time for the initial draft is eloquently
described, the builder of Camp Taylor,
Louisville, KY, winning by a narrow
margin. The environments occupied
1874 acres of land which cost an
average of $3.50 per acre, and the con-
tractors profits were given as less
than 2 IL per cent of the gross cost
of construction.
Expenditures for the cantonmentS
represented 70 per cent of the total for
the Panama canal, but the time con-
sumed was less than 80 days against
10 years for the canal Supplementary
building projects undertaken by the
department aggregated much larger
tho rant T11pntc and in
eluded enormous store houses, facto
ries for various purposes, proving
grounds, army posts, embarkation ia
cilities, docks, magazines, railroads,
aviation fields and hospitals
In every State but One.
con November II, 1915" the report
says, the construction division was
conducting $50 operations in 442 locali-
ties, involving an expenditure of ST.
600, 100000 These touched every state
but one"
AS the construction crews developed
teamwork, remarkable instances Of
speed were reported. Precautions Ia
ken to assist the contractors includ-
ed the detail OF a ulSDuTSlH8 olllCeI
on the spot with he check book ready
so that material could be paid on de-
livery and SO that special equipment
could be obtained at fair rental and
a steady flow of materials be insured.
The last feature finally necessitated
the sending of soldiers into the forest
to cut logs and piles and to load them
on railroad cars which were guarded
by soldiers to their destination.
When a shortage of stoves threat
ened the health of the new army, Off
GERS of the construction division were
sent to the factories to speed up pro-
duction with the result that the army
obtained $4,000 in months although
that number is years output of the