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Show Mock Battle Is Set For Record 400,000 Maneuvers in Fall Include All Types of Forces. RALEIGH, N. C. Lieut. Gen. Hugh A. Drum, commander of the First United States army, stated that the largest army maneuvers in peacetime history of the United States, involving 400,000 men, would be held in this area in the autumn. The maneuvers will be held in a 4,800-square-mile area along the North Carolina-South Carolina border bor-der in October and November, General Gen-eral Drum said in a statement issued is-sued jointly with Gov. J. M. Brough-ton Brough-ton of North Carolina. The rolling terrain of the section, the general said, is almost ideally suited to the type of maneuvers planned, mass movements of all types of land and air forces. The 400.000 troops, he said, include complete mechanized divisions who will put into practice lessons learned from the European war. Two armored divisions will be tested test-ed over the sandy terrain, which encompasses en-compasses the Peedee and Wateree rivers. General Drum said that the two principal streams were a major factor in choosing the site. The area extends from Fort Bragg, N. C, largest artillery training train-ing post in the world, to Fort Jackson, Jack-son, S. C. The two posts will be bases for opposing forces. The area, nearly half of which is in each state, is a roughly oblong stretch of territory running parallel to the coastline and about 100 miles inland. It is about 90 miles wide at the widest point and 140 miles long. The border of the area follows the North Carolina-South Carolina border for about 40 miles at the western end of the area in order to avoid the heavily populated industrial industri-al sections around Charlotte and Gastonia, N. C. |