Rights for Maneuvers will Be Sought In 3 Counties By Fort Authorities

The first steps have been taken in securing interest trespass rights on 265,000 acres of land adjacent to the Fort Jackson reservation and the acquisition of these rights the army will have 318,000 acres available for huge military maneuvers this spring.

Plans for securing the rights were first publicly discussed at a meeting Saturday between army leaders, civilian officials and members of the Richland County school boards in the affected districts.

The areas on which the rights are being sold include 150,000 acres in Richland County, 80,000 in Kershaw county and 35,000 in Fairfield county. The co-operation of 2,000 property owners will be sought including 1,300 in Richland county.

Meetings between property owners of the school districts and army authorities will begin February 3, at which meetings the army authorities will outline to the landowners the purpose and manner of the acquisition and answer questions regarding settlement of claims. School district meetings

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For Kershaw and Fairfield counties will be held later.

The army is not interested in the actual purchase of any new lands in the acquisition of the property rights is salt merely so that sufficient land may be secured for maneuvers which will stimulate actual combat conditions.

The army will ask for permission from landowners for troops to pass over and camp on the land during the large-scale exercises, which will involve the movement of thousands of troops, perhaps two whole divisions. The rights will include that of using water on the premises for drinking, cleaning and cooking purposes and to camp at all times.

Claims may be filed by the landowners for any damage done to the property by the troops and such claims will be filed with Major Arthur Wellwood, chief of rents and claims division at post headquarters. These claims will be taken care of immediately.

“The cooperation of the land-owners we have contacted so far has been 100 per cent,” Major Wellwood said today, “these people realize that their boys at Fort Jackson must have the best possible training and that the landowners can do their part in this training by allowing troops to use their lands. Then, too, I have found that people in general deeply appreciate the fact the General Russell fought for and got the maneuver area located in South Carolina.

George W. Sceley, a landowner of near Blaney, saw Major Wellwood immediately after the meeting Saturday and told him he wanted to be the first to sign up. Mr. Sceley said he had 1,000 acres available for the troops to use during the maneuver period. He said that he understood the government would not pay him one cent for the use of his land, except for any possible damage that might be incurred, but that he felt the least he could do for national defense was cooperate in this “fine program.”

Maj. Gen. Henry D. Russell, Fort Jackson commander, said that the maneuvers, which will probably be in early in March, would stimulate actual battle conditions with blank ammunition being used for all arms. General Russell said that any actual combat will be held on the reservation property, but that the movements and maneuvering of troops would be on the 265,000-acre tract.

The troops will stay largely on the main highways, General Russell said, but during the movement the columns might be forced to leave the highways, for instance, if there were an attack by bombing planes and the troops took shelter. There will be no deploying of troops over cultivated fields, he said, and whenever it is necessary for the troops to leave the highway it will be done in a section where no damage would result.

In other instances certain troops might bivouac for the night and in such cases the bivouacing area would be rented. Explicit orders will be issued that the truth straight private property carefully and keep damage at a minimum.

General Russell also said that 90 per cent of the use of the land would be confined to the main highways and crossroads.

No official announcement was made concerning the scope of the maneuvers, but it was considered possible that the Eight Division, with 14,000 troops, and the 30th division, with 18,000 troops, might take the field, including other trips from Fort Bragg.

The maneuver area, including the present reservation of 53,000 acres, will be roughly bounded as follows:

On the south; A line extending from the southern tip of the reservation, south east to the Leesburg road, intersecting it at a point a mile and a half from the Leesburg’s road intersection with the Garner’s Ferry Road; then due south along a road that intersects the Garner’s Ferry road to a point about two miles west of the Wateree river.

On the east: A line beginning at the Garner’s Ferry road two miels east of the Wateree river, extending northward 35 miels to the Camden road at the approximate location of Lugoff. The boundary, at right angles, crosses the Kershaw county line at Raglin creek and runs on. a north-south line about midway between Spear’s creek and Leeburg. Coincides with the old McCord’s Ferry road (State Route No. 26) just inside the Kershaw County line, and follows this road to the Camden Road.

On the north: From this intersection of the Camden road and Route 26, the boundary proceeds eastward along the Camden Road about a mile and a quarter to State Route No. 34. And reversing into 23-mile arc moving into Fairfield county the boundary follows Route 34 through Longtown to Ridgeway.

On the west: From Ridgeway, foundry follows route 21 S. about 12 miles into Richland County, past Blythewood, to the Asylum road’s intersection with Route 21 about a mile and a quarter above Sharpe. And then follows the Asylum Rd., Southeast through Killian to State Park, then follows the road to Dentsville and, from Dentsville, the road to Boyden’s Arbor, where the boundary hits the western edge of the main reservation.

Dates for 12 Richland county school district meetings have been announced by Major Wellwood and either he or a member of his staff will attend the meetings, all of which will be held at 8 o’clock in the evening.

The dates and places follow:

District No. 23 (Blythewood), high school building, Monday, February 3.

District No. 20 (Killian), School building, Monday, February 3.

District No. 19 (Pontiact), and District No. 16 (Messers). White’s high school building at Pontiac, Tuesday, February 4.

District No. 17 (Park) Dentsville School, Tuesday, February 4.

District No.12-A (Shady Grove) School house, Wednesday, February 5.

District No. 4 (Union), School House, Wednesday, February 5.

District No. 13 (Brown’s Chapel), School House, thursday, February 6.

District No.12-B (Leesburg), Texas Negro school building, Thursday, February 6.

District No.11 (Garner’s Ferry) Good Hope church, Friday, February 7.

District No. 8-A (Bellwood), School house, Friday, February 7.

District No. 7 (Horrell Hill) School house, Monday, February 10.

District No. 5 (Lykesland) school house, Monday, February 10.

No meetings will be held in Fair Lawn, Level and Mount Pleasant districts because of these few landowners affected and these owner will be contacted directly.