The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1907-12-27
FORT ASSINN|BO|NE CASE
Much Hope Held Out That Post Can Be
Saved by Action of Montar1a's SEN
ators.- Will They DO It2

For months and months past theze
has been column after column writ
ten and printed about the Fort AS
sinniboine military reservation, not on
~ by the papers of Northern Mont
ana, but by papers all over the Unit
ed States. For months the fear has
been general among the people OF this
section that the post was to be a.
bandoned, and this fear was the re-
suit Of the condition Of affairs as OBJ
served from the local standpoint.
One OF the most ardent friends Of
the retention Of the fort has been the
Great Falls Tribune and that paper
has had much to say regarding the
absolute facts in the case and has
endeavored to present the best
possible case in the interest Of the re
tention Of the fort. For this the
people Of this part Of the state are
grateful Recently the Tribune sent
one Of Its editors here and he con-
Quoted a personal investigation and
held many consultations. The result
is the publication of the following
encouraging editroial In the Tribune
Of yesterday:
1T affords the Tribune great sat
isfaction to be able to say that there
has in recent weeks been great
ana decided Improvement in the pros-
pect Of Fort Assinniboine being per-
manently retained BY the war de-
partn,ent as brigade pest. Powerful
friends have been raised up in de-
tense Of the superb advantages offer
ed by this splendid post and resesva-
ton as military post, which offers
unmatched advantages as q place for
training soldiers In every branch OF
the service. It is equally adyanta-
geous for infantry, cavalry or artillery
practice. These facts have always
been known and appreciated by the
older army officers, and the facts are
coming to be known and apprec1at-
ed by senators nd representatives who
specially interested in military affairs
One of these gentlemen, Senator
Whyte of Maryland, carried the matte
to the White House, and in response
to an inquiry from the presidents pri-
vate secretary, VIM. Loeb, Jr., ad
dressed to the war office, asking par"
ticulars about the proposed abandon
ment of Fort Assinnibcine, Acting Sec
retary of War Robert Shaw Oliver
wrote letter addressed to the Secre'
tary Loeb. under date of Decembel
2. 1907, the closing paragraph of which
reads as follows:
It may, therefore, be observed tha
FORT ASSINNIBOINE HAS NOT
BEEN ABANDONED, But THAT II
is HELD BY THE WAR DEPART
MENT SUBJECT TO THE FUTURE
NEEDS OF THE SERVICE
THAT settles the status OF Fol-
Assinniboine at present so far as tn
war department is concerned. Tn
which it is not at liberty to stat
lust now, but which can be supporte
by unuuestioned documentary evidenc
when the time is ripe for their publ
cation, which leads ug to assert tha
if our two senators from Montana re
deem their pledges to the people
Northern Montana to do all in the1
power to aid them in having Fort As
sinniboine selected as a permanel
brigade post, occupied by several reg
ments, their efforts will be croWne
by success The tribune has been az
cused of political prejudice and ros
tive untruthfu1ness in intimating |
ator Dixno were no tplaygin fair Wit
suspicious that Senator Carter ar
with the people of northern Mont
na and were either Indifferent or no
tile to the retention of Fort AssInn
boine despite their numerous asse
items to the contrary in letters WI,
ten to their constituents in northe'
Montana and in articles published
this paper. Very we'll; these gentlenI
now have chance to prove the
sincerity, and convince their const
uents that this newspaper has Wron
ed them by its suspicious and conyi
tions. VIII they do It? We hope t.
will.
The acting head of the Was depa.
White House. has within few wee
declared that the department insen