AMERICA'S NEW ARMY.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 14 August 1917, Page 6

AMERICA'S NEW ARMY.

TRAINING IN 48 CAMPS. WOODEN HUTS TO BE USED. A cable message states that the mobilisation of the first draft in the United States of 687,000 men is to commence on September 1. Of these .500,000 men will form the first of the "new armies," the balance being required to bring the regular army and the national guard up to full strength. The War Department has divided.the

United States into sixteen divisional areas of approximately equal population with a general officer in command of each divisional area. The divisional areas are each subdivided into three reserve areas. It was expected that a training-camp would be located in each "reserve area," which would make forty-eight training-camps for whole United States; and each camp would therefore have to accommodate over 10,000 recruits. Making due allowance for the auxiliary forces necessary to supply and maintain this force, it was estimated that forty-eight cities each capable of accommodating at least 12,000 persons, must be built. Those plans was announced at the end of May go that there were only three months in which to complete the construction of the eamps_ Fourteen camps, each for the training of 2500 officers, were opened on May S, and these officers are. to -undertake the traning of the new recruits. The writer in the New York Engineering News Eecord states that these 48 cities will be made up of wooden buildings. It, is impossible to shelter this half-millian men in tents, for there are not enough tents available, in the ary stores to provide for even the 35,©OO men to be brought together in the officers' training camps, nor is there material available to make tents in any reasonable time. It is reported that the army has been endeavouring to place an cider for 30,000,000 yards of cotton €uck. This order will take the mills a long time to fill, and much of the material will be required for use for tarpaulins and similar coverings as fast as it can be furnished. Of lumber for wooden buildings there is, forlunately an ample supply. Doubtless the: e buildings will be the simplest possible construction, to admit their rapid erection with as much use as possible of unskilled labour. They will probably he made fairly permanent, as it is the intention to use them not only to house

the first half-million recruits, but the second half-million and additional units."