Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-04
FORTS OF NORTHWEST
Large Military Forts That Are We'll
 Equipped.
Considered the Most Important In the Country from a Military Point of vievv-Others UnGergOtR$
 Improvements.


 making great progress in the matter of coast defenses and with modern guns and more artillery soldiers the sea- boards are in a fair state to repel an attack by sea, the important fact of pre- venting an invasion by land has not been overlooked, says the Washington Post Under the direction of the war department and with the approval of the men who make the appropriations the government Is erecting chain oE forts, or, more properly speaking, m1l- itary stations, along the northern bor- der that would be of immense advan- tage should the time ever come when 1t was necessary to repel an invasion from the Canadian side or to undertake of- fensive operations in Canadian terri tory. ,f
 Four of the six largest military posts of the country are located in states or the northern border These are Fort Sheridan, Ill.,, just outside of Chicago; Fort Smelling, Minn., between St: Paul and Minneapolis; Vancouver Barracks, Wash, just across the Columbia river from Portland, Ore, and Fort Ethan AL len, Vt. The other two large posts are at Forts Leavenworth and Riley, Kan. The six posts named are those which are receiving the most attention now. A large portion of the appropriations which have been made for barracks and quarters for the army have been ex- pended or will be expended on these posts until they are enlarged sufh- ciently to meet the demands of the army. From military point of view these posts are considered the most im- portant in the country. Their enlarge ment is the result of a careful study of the geographical situation as we'll as from transportation standpoint. In these days the railroads are an impor- tant military factor. These posts, when completed, will accommodate more than full regiment or infantry, as we'll as squadron of cavalry and two or three companies Of field artillery.
 A number of other points on th8 northern border are considered impor- tant and in time may receive the same consideration that is given to the pres ent six large posts. Plattsburg bar racks, New York, is just across Lake Champ1afn from Fort Ethan Allen and may be considered as a part of the sys- tem of defense of which the fort is the center. Tn time there will be large military post at Niagara Falls. There are two forts in that vicinity now, but the time will come when they will be one large military post
 There is now number of other large posts in the country some of which will be still further enlarged. The impor- tant post on the southern border is Fort Sam Houston, Texas, while farther east are Fort McPherson. near Atlanta, Ga, and the post now building at Chicka- mauga park. Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming, is, and will no doubt con- tinue to be. an important military post.
 It is noticeable, however. that the general scheme of military defense and offense, aside from the purely seacoast defenses, tends toward guarding the long northern boundary line It is quite possible that the strong, almost inn pregnable forts which Great Britain has erected at Halifax on the east and Es- Quimau1t on the west coasts have re- suited in the counter moves by this country in placing the most important military strongholds of the country within easy distance of the Canadian boundary. Tn fact, it Is quite true that the growth Of these posts in the north ern tier of states is directly attributab ble to the constant increase of the military power of Great Britain at Halifax and Esquimau1t