The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-25
CONCL|N1'RA1EARMY
A1S i {: POSTS I |! {.
& Dream ofs War Department Isl
& Now@Abotit to Be
Realized. S#fi
CONGRESSMAN ARE OPPOSED
Army Brought Togcthcr in :R1'tesgis
mental Units Only Once il "
4 s@S orty Years. 5tSss 3#s5
~, orr Regular c orrcspondcnt.)

q tFron Our Regular Corrcspondcnt., S
II yvAsI1NG TON ID. CT, July 24.---1De-
spite the announcement from Oyster Bay I'1
that tho programme 81 concentrating g
large port OF the army In the States
IL ID { few brigade posts Had been I Sub sub,
| mlttcd 4 To the President BY Secretary tar
raft ana approved ~ the President pro- pro.
& sts Z re still coming IN from Congress-
gfncl, or the Suites lrfwliicll 1t Is proposed
4 to eliminate a number OF small army
posts 9n$ orderStt sSbuild Zip some seven
brigade posts lThorc being forty States
m which there are small army posts,
tho magnitude OF the protest !. Is easily
conceivable. N III 81 5$ !. q, y, I'LL
sThe dream OF the. War Depart It is to
concen trnte practically the entire army
At seven large posts four OF which , have
aircady been, DESIGNATED. ihe y are
Forts Riley; and &Leavenworth,&in Kansas;4
/ sam Houston, tfin Texas, and Fort % ~ A.
Douglass, III wyoming. Iii add tion, It Is
proposcd to create d brigade post in Cal
sifornla, another In the South, ono at
Mount Gretnn. Pa, and ono out OF Fort
fDcs MoineB or Fort enjamtn Harrison
b A There are now in the country i 81 army
posts, 157 OF which are garrisoned and
each Of which Is OF commercial impor.-.JJ
to inc ELOWIl6
3situate led Nh The Wholesale Establishment Aof
army posts, with specific congressional.
consent, appears Impossible, and 80 tho
War Department.. BY indirection and an
,adroit framing OF the army approp Ion.
bill, N Is seeking to bring about this con Y
5centrltion. The Congressmen whose dis
stricts are affected by this policy claim
that the army bill does not authorize tho
JestablishmentBof brigade posts. they say
that the subject OF conccntrat lon was
mentioned In committee by Secretary
Taft, and Assistant Secre tnry Oliver said3
1T was the hope Of the President tina t
como day the army would be assembled
In a few large camps. but no legislation
was proposed, 81 and tho proposition was
never considered In either house. s. 55s.
&d The War Department. on the 6f other
hand. finds iii the authority to purchase
additional land for the army post at San
Antonio. Texas. excuse for making that
IA brigade post. while the designation OF!
Forts r Hey and cnVenWortl1 In Kansas,
and Fort y. "a Do rs lass, IN Wyoming, 4 as
brigade posts, does not involve any un-f
authorized expenditures, and consequently
can no more be questioned than any other
routine order Iii he administration OF the,
affairs OF tho army
a$a T or orty years, barring a Brief period
during the war With Spain, the United
golAtes army IlhS DeeIl cut UP INTO SII!du
q fragments and scattered among 167& army
posts. IN forty different States. It has
! been rarely the case that J,q}ore ttT1n
4one ba ttallon or one squadron, or more
than IA single atterySa or one Y infantry
cavalry or artillery eglment found $lodg-s
$ment ut one post Under such conditions
years . rtsn3s pass before tneF line officers
Sof u regiment become acquainted With
( their Shcld-oficer superiors IS Only once in
( forty years. during the Spanish w ar
end subsequent Filipino $insurrection,8ith the
army OF the United States has been
brought together In regimental units. It
i Is to remedy this condition that the War
Department has outlined the policy OF
Ernassing the troops in several large
Slishmcnt OF seven Extensive nlaneuveri
camps where regulars and militia can
operate on an eln bora 10 scale annually.
Aside from the military reasons for this
policy, the War Department points to-
an important economic one. IT contends
that tho cost OF maintaining the army
scattered over 157 garrsons is far great
er than if@concentratcd In a. nmitca.
number OF large posts.
The change under contemplation. II Is;
pointed out. would enable the quarter
masters department to perform It's work
more fexpedltiously and at an immense
saving over tho present arrangement
The arguments, however, are being met
awithgnp avalanche OF protests from cit1Ea
Il and congressional districts, which win
suffer commercial loss through abolish
ment OF smaller military posts. me
War Department Is deaf to these g ppeals,
and with the apparent support OF the
President, is starting off tho new policy
by, making Fort Sam Houston, a. san
Antonio, Tex; Fort Riley, In Kansas. -
Fort y. a. Douglass, In Wyoming,
brigade posts. Z. a 5
------. Y