The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-17
FORT DOUGLAS MAY BE
MADE BRIGADE POST
Continued from PAGE 1

Continued from PAGE I.
Ell Paso in the south and in the north
would be between the two military en-
frances into Canada; the st. Paul-Ca-
madam Pacific cutoff, which runs from
North Dakota to Moose Jaw, and the
Great Northern's Great Falls branch
which connects with the Canadian Pa
citic at Lethbridge. five hundred miles
west of Moose Jaw.
Salt Lake VS.. Denver and Cheyenne.
The map. while it shows an apparent
superiority for Denver in it's connec-
tons with Ell PasO, is so great
ly in favor of Salt Lake City as
to the rest of the situation that there
should be no question as to the decision
provided the clique which controls the
location of military posts and, in fact
all other matters military, can be
brought to see it in the unbiased light
in which the military men view it.
Who 1t Is Up To.
Everybody in Washington recognizes
the fact that the situation next fall
will, as usual. be in the hands of the
big four. They are a compact body
within the senate military COM
mittee, which has for the last five
years been allowed to run military af-
fairs by the senate and house in re-
turn for refraining from butting in on
certain other matters, notably rivers
and harbOr5 and public buildings 1t
will be noted that none of them is from
seaport or river city. They are al
lowed to corral practically all the mill
tary appropriations, which, with the
exception of rivers and harbors and
public buildings. are the largest of
what is called the special appropria-
tions of congress. There were five: Red
field Proctor Of Vermont, formerly sec
rotary of war in Harrison's cabinet;
Joseph B. Foraker of Ohio, Nathan B.
Scott of West Virginia, who has not
an army post in his state, but several
along the line of the Pennsylvania rail-
road. and Francis E. Warren of Wy
Oming, who has enlarged Fort D. A.
Russell at Cheyenne and has several
little posts dotted throughout his state.
The death of the fifth member of the
clan, Russell Is. Alger, formerly sec
rotary of war in the first Mckinley
cabinet, has removed a powerful in
fiuence for the army posts along the
line of the lake steamship lines. From
Fort Porter. at Buffalo, to the prospec-
tive post which Is always almost to be
established at Duluth, his death is
deeply mOurned.
OF the Democrats, Pettus has little
uSt lOI liit dIlily. anu bIdCkDu1H-
doing noble work for Fort Thomas, has
retired to the Panama canal commits
sion at a fat salary. The other men,
bers are new men and have not as vet
been able TO penetrate into the inner
ring.
Plans Need Local Support
IL the matter is properly pushed it
should be no great matter for Salt Lake
City, with the army reports back of it
and naturally favOrably located, to Sc
cure a brigade post and to become in
case of war with England. Japan or
Mexico the centre of the western con-
CentratiOn. While the principal war
cloud which is now perturbing the
minds of the city of Washington is
across the Pacific. yet secret service
members of the information division of
the general staff have thoroughly
mapped the republic against the
possibility of the early death of Presi-
dent Diaz and his successor being not
Ramon Coral but some one adverse to
American interests who would start
something on a larger scale than the
bomb they threw into Colonel Bill
Greene's camp last year. As it is the
general staff's duty to have plans
ready for every possible emergency,
there is also on file the information
upon which an invasion of Canada
could be made. absurd as is the posi-
bility that we would ever have trouble
with our Canadian brothers. All of
these plans include Salt Lake City.
Look at the map.
In case of a prolonged war with ia
pan heavy reinforcements would be
needed in the Philippines. and il would
be necessary to concentrate a large
army in the reserve where it could be
| in a heaithful and safe position and
feed the posts which would defend the
great harbors at Seattle, Portland
Fort Vancouver), San Francisco, San
Pedro and San Diego.
II. case of trouble of a serious nature
with Mexico, the army would probably
be concentrated for transportation by.
water with naval protection from New
port News, the army's present eastern
base; Pensacola, Mobile and New Or
leans; and by railroad over the border
at Matamoras and Eagle Pass from the
concentration camp at San Antonio;
and sent across at FL Paso, Nogales
and San Diego by rail. and from the
Pacific ports of San Diego and San
Pedro by sea; with the western re-
serve camp at Salt Lake