NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS MUST TRAIN IN THE SOUTH

JFK+50:  Volume 7, No. 2388

WAR SECRETARY WON'T PERMIT NG TO TRAIN IN THE NORTH

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) One hundred years ago today, August 1, 1917, Secretary of War Newton D. Baker rejected requests from the governors of Minnesota and Wisconsin to allow their national guard units to train in the North.

Secretary Newton had previously denied the same request from governors of New England states.  The reason for the decision was...


"that it (would) be impossible to transport all the national guard to France before spring (and) that a large part of the guard...(would) remain in camp during the winter, and that it would be impracticable to train these men in tented camps in the north in cold weather."

The Chicago Daily Tribune reported, however, that as of August 1, 1917, camps in Houston, Texas, Deming, New Mexico and Waco, Texas were "far from completion."

JFK+50 NOTE

Sixteen camps were constructed by 200,000 civilian workers by order of Secretary Baker.  Each camp had barracks, quarters, administration buildings & a hospital.  One camp accommodated 28,000 men.

SOURCES

"Baker Refuses To Let Troops Train In North," The Chicago Daily Tribune, August 2, 1917.

"World War I Training Camps," www.encyclopedia.com/

Camp Gordon, Georgia

Committee on Public Information

NARA Photo (1917)