Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-18
DEFENSE OF BORDER
Garrisons on the Mexican
Frontier.
REPORT OF GEN. GRANT
DISCUSSES CAUSES OF DESER-
TONS FROM THE ARMY.
Regrets the Disappearance of the Can
teen Feature From the Post Ex-
change-His Comments.
REPORT OF GEN. GRANT

Probably the longest and most compre-
hensive report ever made by the head of a
military department is that of Brigadier
General Frederick D. Grant. commanding
the Department of Texas, made public at
the War Department today. The greater
part of it is devoted to suggestions for the
better utilization of strategic points on the
Mexican boundary, including rearrange-
ment of military posts nearer railroad CEN
tiers. On this subject he says tn part:
Force on Mexican Border.
'In my opinion the conditions at the
present time suggest the Importance of con-
tnuing our military stations in Texas only
along. or in the immediate vicinity Of, the
Rio Grande. at or near important railroad
crossings, beginning with Ell Paso in the
west and extending to Brownsville in the
east. which would of course include Fort
Sam Houston and the station at Galveston.
While it is not proposed that each border
garrison shall be sufficiently large to be-
come an aggressive and offensive command
in time Of war, 1t is my belief that each or
the garrisons should be of sufficient size not
only to meet all exigencies of the service
but to preserve the necessarily high stand
ard of efficiency which can come only Of
practical as well as theoretical instruction
of officers and men in every command.
Zone of the first considerations which
must enter into the maintenance of mill
tary stations along the Mexican frontier Is
the necessity for absolute command or con-
troll in time Of war or other public danger,
of any or all of the great international
railroad lines which have extensively
grown in the past twenty years.. 1t goes
without saying, of course, that the United
States should not be expected to MAINTAIN
in time of peace along the Mexican border
garrisons sufficient to operate extensively in
time of war but it is respectfully submitted
that as a military protection, reasonable
and sensible in whatever view may be taken
of it, the military garrisons along the
Mexican border should at all times be Of
sufficient size not only to guard and pro.
tect national interests generally In time or
peace, but in emergency to be aple 10 Sc
cure seize and hold all available railroad
facilities for the use of a larger force, winch
might within few days following be mo-
bilized ard dispatched to the border
Guarding Railroad Enterprise.
The Importance of encouraging and guard
ing railroad enterprise in portheaster Mexl-
co. which corresponds with and adJoins the
section Of our own country between Eagle
Pass and Brownsville. has long been a
matter of fixed governmental policy. am
reliably informed that the Mexican gov
eminent has for some time past encouraged
and fostered all railroad enterprises that
promised to increase the railroad system
between Monterey and Matamoros on the
east and Tampico on the south. Aside from
the commercial interests involved IN TINS
general plan Of railroad extension, the
Mexican government has important mill
tary reasons why that particular section OF
country, which. in times past, has been the
hatching-feld Of all revolutions, should De
rendered quickly traversable by Mexican
troops. Indeed the very political power that
prevails today in Mexico. whose successful
revolution placed Mexico under her present
splendid government, was born and Graded
In the vicinity of Camargo and San Miguel.
"F'or these reasons If for no other, 1t
would seem to me that this particular sec
ton of the Mexican border Is deserving OF
early consideration by our own general
government.
Extradition Of Deserters.
'1n this connection 1t may be remarked
that some action ought to be taken looking
to treaty agreements between the Mexican
government and our own respecting the ex-
tradition of deserters from the armies OF
the two countries. AT present there Is no
international authority for the arrest, on
either side Of the international boundary
of any person charged with desertion from
the military service on the OPPOSITE sue ae
Therefore the question Of the arrest OF de-
serters along the border has been the
source of no little embarrassment. For
merly under a tacit rule of courtesy the
Mexican local authorities In border towns
have promptly arrested deserterS nom the
United States army and turned them over,
without requisition or other formal appllca-
ton, to our military officials at adjacent
stations. But when the Mexican military
authorities expected and demanded equal
reciprocal courtesy on the part of our mill
tary officers, with respect to the arrest and
delivery to Mexican authorities OF desert
ers from the Mexican army who had taken
refuge on this side Of the boundary the re-
oP mil
the arrest and delivery gave rise to discus
sion which developed the fact that there
was no provision of law to warrant that &C
ton.
I'm my opinion the matter is deserving OF
early considerati ton. A clause In the treaty
between the two governments providing
for eXtradition would not only help TO rio
| the border towns and their vtcintties OF the
| fugitives who now aff1tct them, but would
| prove a valuable auxiliary to discipline in
| our own army, inasmuch as many men who
| desert on account Of the haven Of refuge
| and immunity from legal arrest which the
| various border towns now afford would be
| deferred from doing so If less security were
| promised to them In desertion.
However remote or unlikely may be re-
garded any exigency of warlike operations
| in this vicinity, the question of ready sup
| ply of munitions of war should be kept al
ways in mind.
with these views I would respectfully
| recommend that the San Antonio arsenal be
|
| storage plant, but as manufacturing es-
| tablishment whose capacity should be as
] great as the largest or the second largest
| In the country"
A Great Cause Of Desertion.
Gen. Grant also devotes considerabl,
| space to the subjects of discipline and de-
| sertion and treats each in frank anS
| vigorous manner. 'In a. large number o.
cases." says he, 1.-THE apparent motive fo
| desertion was liquor. and. believing as do
| that the kind of liquor furnished to soldier
| at the saloons. especially those adjacent II
army posts either prompts men to deser
outright or gets them into trouble which
| in course of time. impels them to desert
| soon after the beginning Of my administra
| ton in this department I made strenuous
| efforts to curb and curtail' the drinking
| habit among the men.
| "The causes that lead to desertion are to-
| numerous and varied to be summarized
| but 1t is only fair to the soldier to say tina
while a majority of those who desert are
| naturally depraved, viciously inclined ant
| morally weak men who lack the stamina
| necessary to good soldiery and conscien
| tious service under their oath Of enlist
| ment. there are others who. however goot
| be their intentions in the beginning, drift
under influences and conditions peculiar tt
Il e. ~ T.