Evening star., 1933-07-02
10000 Modified
IN FOREST CAMPS
Fechner to Notify Roosevelt
This Week of Programs
Completion.

When President Roosevelt returns TO
the White House this week he will re-
ceive official notification from Robert
Fechner, director of emergency conserv-
alton work, that the Army has success
fully carried out the Presidents program
of mobilizing 250,000 forest recruits in
work camps by July l.
Figures obtainable from the War De-
partment yesterday indicated that ap-
proXimately 240,000 recruits had been
installed and put to work in nearly
1,500 forest camps. This total does not
include the number rushed in at the
rate of about 10000 day during the
last "a hours of the stipulated time limit.
Actually a great many more men
have been enrolled. for there are at
least 10000 men who have been dis
charged from the conditioning and for
est camps during this intensive period
of mobilization No official figure Of the
total discharges has ever been made
public and it is likely none will ever
come to light. Some officials, how
ever, think 10000 is a conservative
estimate.
Various Types Discharged.
These men cannot be classed as de-
serters. Some constitute the usual agi-
tators and dissatisfied men to be found
in any large group under similar con-
ditions. Others were men who were
"homesick" and simply wanted to quit
Still others were men who were un-
fitted for the work and there were many
also who wanted to get back to the cit
les in anticipation of factory jobs being
open soon.
Just what his mobilization means in
dollars being turned back to industry
will not be known accurately until the
official report of the great mobilization
job is made to the President. Counting
all initial costs of supplies. transporta-
ton. pay of recruits and Army officers
engaged in the work, the amount turned
back into the channels of commerce is
expected to exceed $50,00000O up to
July /.
The grocery bill alone for the C. &C. C..
camps has averaged $4,000 a day. or
$1,000, 900 month, based on the Regu-
lar Army ration of about 80 cents a
day per man, which each forest recruit
receives in rations.
The transportation bill probably will
be the heaviest, and this already has
run into millions of dollars paid to the
railroads for passenger and freigh.
service, despite the extremely low rates
given the Government. Based on S3U
a month and WITHOUT taking into &C
count the 5 per cent who are to re-
celve $45, the pay roll alone is about
S9000,000 month. The great bulk of
this pay is being sent home to os-
pendents
Up to June II the manufactured sup
plies, clothing and equipment, pur-
chased in the open market. totaled ap-
proximately $6,500,000 This amount
only oh Ia;
automobile trucks and conveyances re-
quired. War Department officials re-
ported they were unauthorized to give
out the total cost of transportation and
supplies.
S150,000 for Telephones.
The one item of telephone communi-
catlons-necessltatln the running of
about 10000 miles of lines-cost an es-
tlmated $150,000. This real economy
was due to the fact that the SignaI
Corps of the Army furnished most Of
the communication lines, which will
have to be replaced.
The official figure of 100000 men II,
camp does not include the 27.000 World
War veterans who have been recruited
during the past week nor 34.375 ex-
perlenced foresters who are being re-
districts. More than half of the vet
Grams are in camps. it was said at the
War Department, although official re-
ports are lacking. A large proportion
OF the foresters, Also has been recruited
by now.
Supervising the 100000 recruits al
ready in camp are 5.459 officers, class,-
fled as follows: 3,010 Regular Army.
1.672 Reserves, $40 Navy and Marine
Corps and 267 contract surgeons, who
status in camp.
When the full force of 3O1 900 men
are present and accounted for itAis ex-
pected that fully 5000 officers will have
to be on conservation duty. That num-
Der, however, will not have to be main
tained after the camps are all in good
working condition. More than 8,OOu
enlisted men also are on duty.