The Wilmington morning star., 1944-09-14
COUNCIL AT ODDS
UPON CAMP site

The City council yesterday foune
itself caught between the labor
desperate plight of local fertilizer
interests and the arbitrary attitude
of the United States Army witt
regard to location of a prisoner
of war camp at the old Marine
hospital site.
It appeared at the close of yes
terdays meeting that the city
would be forced to agree to the
use of the site, but not without pro-
testing against the Army's insist
ance that the camp be placed al
the hospital location OF nowhere.
A delegation of fertilizer manu-
facturers and farmers appealed te
the council that the place be made
available. lest the prisoners of war,
as vital source of labor without
which the fertilizer industry would
be irnperilled, be permanently re
moved from the Wilmington area,
The councils committee, com
prised of Mayor W. Ronald Lane,
City Manager A. c. Nichols, and
City Attorney w. B. Campbell will
confer with a committee of ferti-
lizer men, headed by A. c. Diehl,
this morning at 10 o'clock to
reach final decision in the matter.
The council expressed repeated
ly through its members yesterday
morning that it was in sympathy
with the need of the fertilizer, agri-
culture, and pulpwood industries in
the area for labor, but that it felt
the location of the POW camp
within the city limits would not
be in the best public interest.
R. W. Galphin, county farm
agent, communicated to the coun-
Gil information to the effect that
the Fourth Service Army Command
in Atlanta was not disposed to con-
slider any other location.
1t was apparent from the pro-
longed discussions yesterday morn
ing that the Army is unwilling to
make further constructions of pri-
soner camps; that the present
camp on the Carolina Beach road
cannot accommodate more prison
ers, and that its sanitary facilities
are inadequate; that site not too
far from the industries and farms
where the prisoners work is
sought.
The city maintained that the Ma
rine hospital is settled in the cen
ter of many residences and that
citizens are already protesting the
prospect of POW camp in their
midst; that sewage facilities there
are limited; that disturbances pre-
cipitated by location of the camp
there will necessitate the assign
ment of additional policemen to the
territory.
The idea of using the abandoned
Army camp inland from Carolina
Beach, suggested by the council,
was not favorably accepted by fer
tilizer men and farmers, by rep
resentatives of Carolina Beach, and
by Galphin.
Employers said they could not
haul the labor for that distance
because of gasoline shortage and
because the time and distance ele-
ment interfered with their business;
Carolina Beach, through Attorney
Emmett Bellamy, declared that
the township would fight the 1oca-
ton of the camp within that rec.
reation area; Gelphin asserted
that the Army would not consider
it.
The Housing Authority of the City
of Wilmington, represented by
Louie Woodbury., offered assistance
in the problem. HACOW has build
ings' that might be utilized for the
purpose, Woodbury. disclosed.
The fertilizer plant operators,
with Mr.. Diehl as chief spokesman,
repeated that fertilizer plants are
"out on the limb,'' and that they
face drastic curling of their manu-.
featuring if prisoners of war are
not secured for fall work.
Prisoners are being removed
shortly from the camp on the Car
DINA Beach road. A new contin
gent would be furnished the com
munity in October or November i
a proper site is secured, it wa:
pointed out. Meanwhile, the farm
ers and fertilizer men utilizing
prisoner labor will Incorporating
under labor handicaps.
According to Diehl, the Arm,
will not demand that the city al
low the Marine site be used for tn,
camp; it is waiting for the city
permission, and should that not b,