Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-09-22
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WELL EQUIPPED FORTS.
Northwestern Defenses of the United
States That Make an Ex-
ceIIent Showing.

While the United States has been
making great progress in the matter OF
coast defenses and with modern guns
end more artillery soldiers the sea-
boards are in 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 of
forts, or, more properly speaking, mil
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
fensve operations in Canadian terri
tory.
Four of the six largest military posts
of the country are located in states OF
the northern border. These are Fort
Sheridan, H., just outside of Chicago;
Fort Smelling, Mimi, 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-
no 1nI hoc
posts until they are enlarged suffl-
GENTLY to meet the demands Of the
army. From military point Of view
these posts are considered the most i'm
portant In the country. Their enlarge
ment is the result of careful study of
the geographical situation as well as
from a transportation standpoint. In
these days the railroads are an impor-
tant military factor. These posts, when
completed, will accommodate more than
a full regiment or infantry, as we'll as a
squadron of cavalry and two or three
companies of field artillery.
A number of other points on the
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
Champlain from Fort Ethan Allen and
may be considered as a part of the sys-
TEN of defense of which the fort is the
center. In time there will be a 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-
manga park. Fort d. A Russell
Wyoming, is, and will no doubt con-
tinue to be, an important military post
1t 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 1t is quite
possible that the strong, almost i'm
pregnable forts which Great Britain has
erected at Halifax on the east and Es-
quimault 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. fact, it is quite true that
the growth of these posts in the north
ern tier of states Is directly attributable
to the constant Increase of the military
power of Great Britain at Halifax and
Esquimault.