The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-26
FORT DUCHESNE
TO BE RETAINED
Continued from PAGE 1.

Continued from Page 1.
"The war department has in its re-
arrangement of stations plan decided that
Fort Douglas is one of the posts which
will be retained and as a regimental post
Your post is not now a regimental post,
but a battalion one. although you have
had from time to time more than bat
talon, and sometimes almost regiment
stationed here The general further adj
mitted that il is the intention Of the war
department to hasten the concentration
Of the army into these regimental posts
and that they are everywhere putting in
modern equipment into their fitting out.
He had not good idea as to the needs
Of Fort Douglas in this regard He is
one Of the men who likes to see things
himself. but if tomorrow he sees in Doug
las one-half the equipment In barracks
and officers quarters and hospital room
necessary for one of the army's modern
regimental posts the officers there will
be greatly surprised Conservatively es-
timated by the officers in charge of such
work at Fort Douglas. it will take $500
900 to put the post on regimental basis
so that, with General Bells announce
ment to The Herald tonight that Fort
Douglas is his scheme for retention
on a regime tai basis it will mean about
that much money at any rate for Salt
Lake City.
In Favor of canteen.
General Bell was asked as to the
re-establishment of the army can
tNNii- lilS llSlllullOfl- WHICH ne pre-
ferred to refer to in the military way as
the post exchange" was abolished BY act
Of congress six years ago. over the pro-
tests of almost every officer in the serv-
ice II was reading room and pool room,
In which beer and soft drinks were served
IN the nature of a lure to keen the sol
der boys from wandering down into q
nelghOoring city and getting filled with
''redeye' and annoying the local police
Also ii worked. The general said:
am OF course, in favor of the re-
establishment of the canteen. 1t is more
necessary IN some places than in Others
At Fort Duchesne. for instance the res
ervation is completely outlined and bound
ed by series of saloons Into which the
soldiers GO"
The general didn't describe the kind of
liquor known as "Uintah deadeye' among
the soldier boys and simply left the prob
able effects to the imagination.
He also made a few remarks on the
insufficiency of the pay of the non-com-
missioned officers of the service which
he incorporated into an effort to get the
increase through congress last year. This
ls pet project of the general, who has
the interests of the enlisted men close
to hoart and who probably comes nearer
TO understanding the enlisted man
than any other general officer
of the army since General LawtOn's dav.
They are clearly the two favorite names
in the barrack room. and General Bell
never ceases to realize that in the end
mis- whole fabric is based upon the cour-
age and training and spirit of the private
IN the ranks.
The Japanese War.
He showed a much greater desire to
talk about his favOrite projects for the
Detterment of the service than about the
proposed war.
What do you think Of the probability
of war with JAPAN" he was asked.
The general has been asked that cues
ton so many times on his western trip
that he has a particularly and intensely
bored expression to meet It:
Good lord he said, you can't quote
me on that"
wei. not to quote you but just on
the side?'
The general said: "....................' -
nothing.
His entire attitude upon the brigade
post proposition in which Salt Lake CITY
is so vitality interested. was that it was
up to higher powers. II must be remem-
bered also that he has not vet seen Fort
Douglas. He listened with the greatest
interest TO the various reasons which The
Herald man rehearsed for him from the
statement Of the various business men
in the newspapers during the past few
days. He interrupted once to ask;
How many acres are there in your res
ervatiOn?' He was told. as near as one
can remember mathematics at 2 O'Clock
in the morning. Three thousand -
why" he said. I'VE are building bri-
gade posts on reservations of $1,000 acres
Reasons for Brigade Post.
1t was pointed out to the general that
the maneuVering grounds near Cheyenne
were no nearer to that city than those
available at Strawberry valley to Salt
Lake The general smiled at the abrupt
transition to Senator Warrens pet post
and then showed that he had acquired
perhaps a little more campaign material
for and against the Salt Lake brigade
post proposition than his modesty had at
first admitted. He said:
But 1 understand that with the finish
of the present irrigation propositions that
Strawberry valley will contain some Of the
richest farming land in the United States
and would perhaps cease to be available
for maneuver purposes.
Last winter congress shut down on the
promiscuous and immediate concentration
of the army into brigade posts, at the
instance of members and senators who
had the smaller posts which would have
to be abandoned by that arrangement, and
the war department. which is. of course.
al the mercy OF congress in the matter of
appropriations, is proceeding very eau
tiously in the matter in order to avoid
antagonizing their source of coin supply
They have. however, made list for reg
mental posts which they consider IA
vorably located from strategic, climatic
and economic point Of view, and are en-
larging them from time to time so that
instead Of holding d portion of a regiment
In crowded quarters they Will comfortably
garrison regiment and have as many of
the general buildings as possible against
the probability Of congress becoming more
liberal on the brigade post proposition
There could be no better outlook for the
possibility of Fort Douglas eventually
becoming a brigade post than General
Bells announcement tonight that il was
on this list Of posts to be retained as
regimental and the receptive frame of
mind with which he will visit Fort Doug
las tomorrow. He will certainly find no,