Texas City's Army Camp.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 15, 1913:
A Statement of Its Shortcomings, Their Reason and Speedy Remedy.
To the Editor of The New York Times:
    Your special dispatch from Galveston, dated March 8, regarding camp conditions in Texas City was an exaggeration of actual conditions. Your correspondent represented a situation in which no soldier could live, yet the men lived through it and are here today with a remarkably low sick rate and with only one death due to disease.
    The facts are these: Only a few days' warning was given for the coming of the troops to Texas City, permitting only temporary preparations for camp, such as placing fresh water upon the grounds and providing for the unloading of animals. Then within a period of five days nearly 8,000 men and 3,500 animals came in, and were hastily assigned to camp grounds that had never been used for any but cattle-grazing purposes.
    A heavy rain had fallen just before the arrival of the first detachment of troops, and within a week another rain lasting three days drenched the camp. There was mud a few inches deep in certain low places and some water stood in hollows, but that is a condition that would exist in any comparatively flat country. Two days afterward the camp was dry. No sickness other than colds resulted from this period of wet weather and hardly a drop of rain has fallen since. To-day if there is any complaint of physical conditions it is against dust.
    After the second rain the army engineers went over the grounds thoroughly and located what they regarded as better camping space. After putting in a surface drainage system and grading streets and walks, two brigades, of infantry and a regiment of cavalry were moved. The present camp meets every requirement, and a knowledge of conditions would silence all criticism not prompted by selfish motives. Pure artesian water, telephones, and electric lights have been provided, adding to the comfort of the men, and, far from 'being moved elsewhere, the troops are being continuously augmented by new arrivals.
            E. B. GRAY.
            President Board of Trade.
            Texas City, Texas, April 8, 1913.