Camp Greene Troubles.
. . If Abandoned It Threatens Financial Disaster to Charlotte Chamber of
Commerce
If Camp Greene is abandoned by the War Department it will
mean financial disaster to the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, so states the
Washington correspondent of the Raleigh
News & Observer in Sunday’s paper. We can hardly believe this as
neither the Charlotte Observer or the
Charlotte News have had a word about
it in their news columns or anywhere else.
The News and Observer
correspondence is as follows:
The adage that troubles come not singly is peculiarly applicable
to Camp Greene in its relation to Charlotte. The abandonment of the cantonment does
not wipe the slate clean; entanglements have bobbed up. The Charlotte Chamber
of Commerce is threatened with bankruptcy unless the War Department can take
care of the camp site for another 12 months.
The land was furnished the Government, rent free, by the
city of Charlotte, the respective owner of the property obtaining the rentals
through the Chamber of Commerce as taken by popular subscriptions. The leases
have been so worded that if the camp occupies the land for a week in 1919 a
year’s rent will have to be paid. Senator Lee S. Overman to-day wired P.C. Whitlock,
president of the Chamber of Commerce:
“Your camp site lease proposition referred by General Jervey
with his favorable endorsement to the real estate, storage and traffic division
of the War department under General Goethals with the recommendation that the
matter be taken up by that division with the chamber of Commerce with the view
of arranging details.”
Corresponding to the contents of that telegram, the belief
was expressed this afternoon by Hubert Martin, secretary to Senator Overman,
that the War Department would pay the camp site lease for another year. The
amount will be approximately $20,000. “If this is not done, I am frank to say
that disaster will most certainly overtake the Chamber of Commerce,” Writes
President P.C. Whitlock. He states further:
“Some time ago I went with a committee from the Charlotte
Chamber of Commerce to see General Jervey, and took up with him the proposition
of the Government taking over the leases of the Camp Greene site for the next
year, which are now held by the Chamber of Commerce.
“The land on which Camp Greene is located is furnished the
Government rent free, by the city of Charlotte. We pay the rent to the various
land owners, and the leases are so drawn that if the camp is occupied for any
part of 1919, we will have to pay rent for the whole year.
“The amount is in the neighborhood of $20,000. The Chamber
of Commerce is dependent upon subscriptions to pay this, and if the soldiers
are to be removed soon, which they will be, in the nature of things, it will be
impossible for us to collect the subscriptions for the year 1919.
“The troubles of Camp Greene were due to no fault of ours,
as we complied with all the promises made to the War department, but where due
to circumstances over which we had no control. This was succeeded in effect by Secretary
Baker some time ago. This being so, it has seemed to us that the Government
could very well afford to take over the leases for next year, and pay the rent.
If this is not done, I am frank to say that disaster will most certainly
overtake the Chamber of Commerce.”
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