Evening star., 1901-07-20
Fort Leavenworth to Be a Great
Practical Military School.
WAR COLLEGE WORK TO Be DONE HERE
Post-Graduate Course for Officers
and Men.
THIRTY THOUSAND TROOPS
Written for The Evening Star.

written for The Evening Star.
Slowly but surely the magnificent scope
of the plans formulated by the War De-
partment for the development of Fort
Leavenworth, Kan, are being made mani
fest. This reservation Of a thousand acres
of land with the military establishment now
upon it. represents an investment of nearly
G.0O0.OO0. Under authority from Congress
100000 Is being expended this year
for new buildings and for the Improvement
Of the parade grounds. Congress will be
asked at the next session for 81 600 900
more, and 1t Is probable that the annual
appropriation for this great American
school for the soldier will be at least that
amount for many years to come.
When Colonel. Leavenworth was sent UP
the Missouri river in 1926 to select a site
for an outpost of civilization he was IT,
structed to lay the foundations for this
fort on the right bank of the Missouri.
He failed. however, to find a suita bic place
and. using his discretion, established his
military camp west of the river at a p)nt
which from that day has been known as
Fort Leavenworth. For many years this
fort was an important strategic poiu. In
the operations against the Indians Of the
plains. 1t afforded shelter for thousands
OF em1grants on their way west, and In
fact. was a base of operations for the great
army of pioneers who attacked and frally
Military Center.
No military establishment in the United
States has ever presented more favorable
characteristics for the use OF the American
army, not only in time of domestic trouble,
but in time Of war against foreign coun-
tries when it became necessary to assemble
troops, organize regiments and start them
for distant posts Of duty. AS time pro-
2reSSed the great natural facilities
reinforced by the coming Of railroads and
the building Of cities in adjacent country,
from which could be secured upon short
notice the supplies needed by a great army.
Today Leavenworth Is practically the mil
itary center of the United States. Seven
trunk lines Of railroad pass within hailing
distance OF the reservation and through the
eastern portion of this beautiful tract Of
land flows the Missouri river. The topog-
raphy is all that can be desired: plains,
valleys and hills lend the needed variety
of country for military operations and the
healthfulness Of the region has never been
questioned.
For many years Fort Leavenworth has
been the post graduate school Of the Of
fcers Of the regular army, and no man
with any length of service to his credit
but has served his time at Leavenworth
and become enamored of the station as
one of the most acceptable to be drawn
In the lottery of army detail. The cavalry
and infantry schools have been conducted
with the single purpose OF perfecting the
graduates of West Point in the practical
school Of the soldier. Theory guides the
routine Of duty at Leavenworth. but it is
theory put into action. To the training
which the American army officers have
received at Fort Leavenworth is due the
prestige of the American army In recent
military operations.
Plans for the Future.
What Fort Leavenworth has ACCOMPLISH
ed in the past. however. Is but a mere be-
OF tnptn hot to
future. Within five years there will be
accommodations at this post for several regi-
ments Of soldiers, and at least 2500 officers.
And even this is but a beginning in the
opinion OF those who are planning to make
the regular army Of the United States of
today as perfect on its larger scale as was
the regular army when 1t contained but
$4,000 men. Over twenty years ago General
Sherman wrote to General Sheridan In re-
gard to this Leavenworth school for the
soldier. He said:
II want this new school to start up with
the doctrine that service with troops In the
field in time Of peace Is the most honorable
OF ALL and the best possible preparation for
high command when war does come, as it
always does. suddenly. I don't want to
meddle with this new school or to have
1t the subject Of legislation, because If
this be done 1t will. like West Point, be
made political and taken out OF our con-
troll.
''The school should form a model post
like Gibraltar. with duty done as though
in actual war and instruction by books to
be made secondary to drill. guard duty and
the usual forms Of well regulated gar
risen"
The Ideas expressed by General Sher-
man have prevailed at Fort Leavenworth
from the beginning Of its Importance as a
school Of instruction. Secretary Roots
war college Is but an expansion Of the
idea which has prevailed at Leavenwo-th
since the time Of General Sherman for
Vyh la no haQ dnno III nf fho
win be at Washington, its real work Will
be done at Fort Leavenworth.
Practical workings.
The practical value OF Fort Leavenworth
to the people of the United States even in
its present stage OF development, has been
shown in a remarkable manner since the
Spanish war. for three complete regiments
have been enlisted. organized, equipped and
made ready for the firing line upon this
military reservation. The 32d and 4fth
Volunteer Regiments were sent from Fort
Leavenworth to the Philippines. The 14th
Cavalry Of the new army is now practically
complete and Will within sixty days leave
Leavenworth to relieve some one of the
regiments now in the Philippines which has
been there two years or more.
An American army officer who Is sent
to Leavenworth to organize a regiment for
the army may well be said to start from
the beginning. The first sign of q new
regiment is the arrival at the Fort Leaven-
cover Of which was marked with the legend
For the adjutant of the 14th Cavalry
or whatever title the proposed organization
might have been given. Then comes the
adjutant, then his staff Of clerks, and lit
tie by little, but with extraordinary rapid
ity, the entire machinery Of regiment,
comprising 1.200 men and the necessary
complement OF officers, Is put together and
found to be In excellent running order.
Then come the recruits. the companies
grow from day to day until the necessary
quota Of men for each Is secured. These
are busy days for the experienced officer
and for the drill masters; everything is
new and the regiment has yet to find IT.
self"
1t Is one Of the most extraordinary trfb-
utes to the training which has been given
the old-time army officers Of the United
States that these men have been SO uni
formly successful In bringing order out of
chaos and turning out regiments one after
another. which perhaps ninety days before
they left for the Philippines or for Cuba
or for some other distant coast, had abso-
lutely no existence.
Forming New Regiments.
OF course, an immense amount Of money
is expended at Fort Leavenworth, which