Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-12-12 | Page 1 | Utah Artillerymen will be Mustered out Here if Accommodations Allow

Utah Artillerymen Will Be Mustered Out Here If Accommodations Allow Governor Asked to Report as to Housing FaciL ities and Other Arrangements at Fort Doug- , las; Date of Sailing Is Unknown. Special to The Tribune. WASHINGTON, Dec. U. The W5th field artillery (First Etahp will be sent to Salt Lake City for demobilization if the war department de-partment can be assured that adequate accommodations for the 1700 men of the regiment can be provided at Salt Lake for the week or more that will be required to muster them out of the service. Senator W. H. King received this promise prom-ise today from General Jervey of the general staff and at once telegraphed Governor Gov-ernor Bamberger, asking him to make J inquiry and report what can be arranged j in the way of housing, etc., for the 145th. Senator King suggested to the governor ; that he ascertain the extent of accom-i accom-i modations that can be allowed this regl-i regl-i ment at Fort Douglas and at the state ! university. The war department pohtted out that as the regiment Is to be mus-tered mus-tered out in the heart of winter it can-' can-' not consent to quarter the men in tents, , and that suitable shelter must be pro-i pro-i vided if the men are to be sent home ; for demobilization. Sailing Date Is Not Yet Known. The exact date of the sailing of the 145th Is not known at the war department, depart-ment, but recent reports state that the regiment is now at an embarkation camp, undergoing medical inspection, etc., preliminary pre-liminary to taking ship, and the sailing of the regiment may be announced any day. After arrival at the point designated for demobilization, the men of the 14ritb ! must go through a routine incident to the ! mustering out of all bodies of troops, in-! in-! eluding accounting for all property as-! as-! signed to the regiment, the settling of all accounts for pay and allowances fdr 1 both officers and men, and numerous other details imposed by army regulations. regula-tions. It is expected the regiment will be held together for at least a week after arrival at the demobilization point before it formally disbands and the men are discharged. dis-charged. Fort Hospital Plans Outlined in Brief. The Fort Douglas hospital, according to present plans of the war department, is lo be maintained as a general hospital for the treatment of medical and surgical cases and for the treatment of gassed soldiers. But, In connection with this regular hospital work, Fort Douglas will operate also as a reconstruction hospital hos-pital and in that respect will aid the maimed and wounded in learning new .trades and occupations. Instead of erecting at Fort Douglas new buildings for school purposes, the war department de-partment will accept the ofTer of President Presi-dent John A. Widtsoe and send these men to the university for special courses of instruction. Dr. Widtsoe Ijas offered to place at the disposal of the Fort Douglas hospital whatever part of the university and Its equipment may ,be desired for reconstruction re-construction work, among the wounded soldiers, and the surgeon general's office of-fice Is of the opinion that in i this way reconstruction work may be carried on even more advantageously than through the establishment of a separate school in connection with the hospital proper. In a telegram received yesterday from Congressman Milton IT. "Welling, the state council of defense is advised that "every, effort is being made to secure the demobilization demob-ilization of the 145th field artillery at Fort Douglas." The telegram indicates. Arch M.- Thur-man, Thur-man, secretary of the state council says, that Uta.h's congressional delegation at Washington is at work in response to requests re-quests telegraphed to them on Tuesday.