Camps Little and Jones Closing

Transcribed by Jean Walker, Feb 2026.  The Border Vidette, Nogales, AZ. 30 May 1931. Page 3.

 

WAR SECRETARY UNYIELDING

ON CAMP CLOSING

(Tuesday’s Herald)

The outlook for retention of troops in Nogales took a turn for the worse, according to telegrams received here from secretaries of Senator Hayden and Congressman Douglas from Washington after a series of conferences held with various high officials.

Notwithstanding the gloomy outlook the Nogales chamber of commerce, civic officials and business leaders continue fighting for the retention of the troops and the proposed abandonment of Camp Little, Nogales, and Camp Jones, Douglas.

A telegram received here today from Washington by H. R. Sisk publisher of The Herald and president of the Nogales chamber of commerce, from J. E. Gavin, secretary to Senator Hayden and B. F. Gavin, secretary to Congressman Douglas, said:

POLICY OF RETRENCHMENT

“Since receipt of your telegram with twenty-five others from citizens, business interests and civic organization in Nogales, we have conferred with the Secretary of War, Adjutant General of the Army, and General Mosely of the chief of staff’s office, all of whom insist that the policy of retrenchment which precipitated the order of abandonment for 53 army posts  throughout the country including Camp Little, Nogales, and Camp Jones, Douglas, is based on specific recommendations from the President and must be adhered to by the War Department.

“Positive demands have been made by the President upon all governmental agencies to effect material savings on their appropriation for the new fiscal year to reduce the present treasury deficit which as now reached $800,000,000.

LARGE APPROPRIATIONS

“In the case of the war department the total appropriations for the current years are $477,000,000 which represents 11 percent of the total appropriations of all governmental activities.  This is the major reason why the war department is being compelled to take advantage of every possible saving in order to comply with the President’s announced program.

“Senator Hayden and Congressman Douglas have sent vigorous protests to the secretary of war against the abandonment of Camp Little and Camp Jones and they have also furnished us with certain essential facts in support of retention of troops in both camps which we incorporated in a formal letter to the secretary of war.  As a final appeal we urged the suspensions at least until economic conditions improve in Douglas and Nogales of any orders now in contemplation for transfer of troops at Camp Jones and Camp Little.  We were told it would require quite a period of time to definitely work out details of troop transfers involved but no encouragement was given us that there would be any change in the announced abandonment of Camp Little and Camp Jones.

TO HEAR DOUGLAS

“Congressman Douglas expects to return to Washington about June 9 and we so informed the secretary of war who said that he will be glad to give the congressman an opportunity to be personally heard in opposition to the pending program but we found the secretary unyielding in his declaration that the President has spoken on the subject and there is no way to modify the plans underway insofar s they affect any particular post.

We are sending you today a copy of a formal statement of facts we personally handed the secretary of war in order that all interested parties in Nogales may be advised as to the extent of our personal effort in the matter.”

 

 

---