Evening times-Republican., 1920-12-10
CHANCE TO SAVE
DODGE AS CAMP
WAR DEPARTMENT RECALLS
ORDER FOR SALE OF ALL
BUILDINGS.
JUNkING PLANS HELD UP
PENDING INVESTIGATION
Des Moines Congressman Protests
Against Abandonment of Camp and
Says 1t is Needed For Summer
Training Of Guardsmen Of Middle
West States.
[By f. G. Dougherty.l

Washington, Dec. lo.-Ine ala OF
all the Iowa members In the house
and senate has been enlisted In the
fight to retain Camp Dodge as per-
manent military camp for the army,
initiated here this week by Con-
gressman Dowell, OF the Seventh
Iowa district, who will place before
the war department by the end OF
u week a written brief containing
arguments directed toward convin- :
cling the secretary OF war that 1t is
false economy to scrap" the big
military establishment on the out
skirts of Des Moines.
In the meantime the war depart
ment order directing the quarter
master general at the Seventh army
corps at Fort Crook to arrange to sell
the barracks and other buildings at
Camp Dodge has been recalled.
Congressman Dowell in a lengtnv
conference with Assistant Secretary
Williams Monday, endeavored to
combat the war department decree to
abandon Camp Dodge by presenting
arguments to show that the central
location of Des Moines made the re-
tention of Camp Dodge as the ideal
place for the yearly maneuvers OF
the national guard and other troops
which is contemplated under army
legislation.
Mr.. Dowell resisted the war depart
ment decision to include In the
seventh army corps that portion OF
Arkansas in which Little Rock.
where Camp Pike is located, with the
idea In mind OF having the yedrly
maneuyers held at the Arkansas
camp. He declared 1t would be false
economy to have the guardsmen of
Iowa. Minnesota, the Dakotas and
Nebraska, now included in the Sew
enth army corps, each year take the
long railroad journey to Camp Pike
for the brief period of training they
would undergo.
Move to Aid Solid South.
The Des Moines congressman be-
lieves that the war departments cf-
forts to save Camp Pike at the cx-
pense OF Camp Dodge Is another
move toward rewarding the so-callcd
solid soutt" by the present admin
istration. and he is prepared 10 Wig
orously resist the Abandonment of
Camp Dodge.
Another argument presented by Mr.
Dowell was the present money mar
ket. contending that it would be
greatly to the disadvantage OF t.re
government to put thru the sale OF
Camp Dodge buildings at the present
time. when any prospective pur-
chaser would be prepared only to pay
the lowest price because CT the
financial stringency.
Supported in his contention that
permanent use by the army for the
troops in the middle and north
western territory by Congressman
Harry Hull, Of the Second Iowa dis
trict. who is the only Iowa member
on the house COMMITTEES on military
affairs. Mr.. Hull shares the view of
Mr. Dowell that Camp Dodge should
De retained, and these two Hawkeyc
members are to enlist the influene,,
of the balance of the Iowa delegation
in their fight for the preservation or
tllC blS LES &uOlIGS SSlaD-
lishment.
May Settle Stowe Case.
An amicable settlement of the con-
troversy between Congressman Harry
Hull with the public heath service
and the Iowa courts in the case of
Frank l.. Stowe, the Davenport man
who figured in several cases alleged
fraud of Iowa banks, is expected to
result from conferences started this
week by Hull In behalf of the former
service man, whose mental condition
is in question. Mr.. Hull conferred
with Surgeon General Cummings, Of
the public health service, early this
week on the Stowe case, and the
later the special government in
spector who handled the Stowe
prosecution was given the version of
Stoves present condition by Mr..
Hull that the public health service
will agree to send Stowe to some
government hospital where his men
tai condition can be treated instead
of having him pay the penalty ad-
judged by the Iowa courts. Mr.. Hull
favors putting Stowe in the psyche
pathic ward Of the ST. Louis public