Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1902-07-25
THE WASHINGTON LETTER.

understand just what the college Is
or will be-and, with view to
furnishing your readers an accurate
description Of the proposed institu.
ton, your correspondent called on
several members of the "war college
board" and from them obtained the
following information
Briefly stated, the projected col
lee will have three principal func-
tions. first, the classification and de,
velopment of data relative TO the
Notifications, military armament,
etc, Of foreign nations and their
study from strategic standpoint,
second, tho higher education of
American military officers, which
will include the study and working
out Of problems Of offense and de-
sense both at home and abroad, this
work being closely related to that
under the first head, and, third, the
supervision and coordination of the
educational work now being done in
the post" and especial service"
schools.
For many years the war depart
ment has maintained schoolsat var
ious army posts where the higher
branches of military education have
been taught to officers, both the
graduates of West Point and APP
pointees from the volunteer service
and civil life The institutions
known as especial service schools"
include the torpedo school at Will
letts Point, n Y, the artillery
school at Fort Monroe, Va, the cav
airy and light artillery school at
Fort Riley, Kan, the engineer school
at Washington. D. c., and the staff
and general service school at Fort
Leaven worth, Kan. Their names
indicate the character of the instruc-
ton given at each. Heretofore these
schools have been under the super
vision Of the lieutenant general and
the adjutant general, but it is be.
lieved thai their direction can be
much more advantageously perform
ed by the new college, which will
itself be an educational institution
and whose faculty and managers
will include those officers who are
especially fitted for the perfor nance
of such duties.
The war college is not new in in
ception but only an appropriation of
81, 260, 900 made by the fitty-seventh
congress, of which amount 5000, 900
Is now available, made possible its
immediate organization. The
war college board, to which the well
fare of the college is intrusted, was
appointed by President Roosevelt
and is composed of General Young,
president, Generals Carter and Bliss
and Majors Greene and Beach.
At present the headquarters Of
the college are in a private residence
adjoining the Temporary White
House" but surveys have already
been made and plans are being pre-
pared for extensive buildings to be
located on the grounds of what are
known as "the barracks in this
city, and overlooking the Potomac
and Anaoostia rivers The present
plans, which are subject to some re.
vision, include single large build
ing for the accommodation Of the
college proper, flanked by residences
for the officers and a club house.
The buildings now at the barracks
will be replaced with one or more
structures in harmony with the
proposed improvements. A hand.
some building for the engineers Z
school will occupy portion Of the
site aud an immense parade ground
and barracks for the men will COM
plete what promises to be the finest
and most extensive military estab-
hshment in the United States.
Ia this connection, it is worthy Of
remark that in the policy Of the
present administration, there is evi-
dent a purpose to develop the mill
tary organization of the United
States along lines eonsonant with
the growing importance of the
country ard TO take time by the
forelock and strengthen the often
sive and defensive resources Of the
nation ia proportion to the increased
responsibilities entailed by expan.
sion. Sooner or later the army re-
Organization law, drafted by seore
tary Root, and tie mlitary reor-
ganizatiop law, drafted By General
Dick, or similar measures, win be.
enacted and q somewhat heterogen-
eous military establishment win be
rounded into homogeneous an
perfect whole
News has reached Washington to
the effect that the ozar has request
ed q conference of European powers