New-York tribune., 1908-10-18
ARMY'S VALUE
In PEACE TINES
FIGHTERS OF FIRE Ayn
FLOOD.
It's Tents Shelter the Homeless. n,
Kitchens Feed the Hungry-
Many Calls for Its aid.
rErom NE Tribuns sar.ss.1


washington oct 17.-It is not all militia -t-,,
I'll army The military establishment Is not ,s,.s.
eraployeG Ia strategic movements. IN working ~.
war games or IN solving the problems % battle .
does duty in variety % ways Of which most ~,
r1e know, nothing unless they have been tbs :.
iects OF the r-otectcu and reiief furnished nv -.
United States army in localities beset By fam.
food o. threatened with the harm Of sor,e lo.,fz
disturbance beyond the control of the neir5so--
hood facilities for maintaining peace and prs,s-v.
ing property
one Of the New York newspapers recently p-f,...s
an editorial which aimed 70 show. IN conner-io1
with the great forest fires in the Northwest ~.
the army might be usetully employed IN sxa,
gushing those monster confaz-ations In eztab
fishing q method or preventing their spread 2,
was evidently new idea 70 the author of the pr,7
cstion but It b. no means suggests anything uovsr
To the military authorities The army has "a.
nrentlv been called on to put out forest fres s,4
has worked vaIantIy in that particular Office p.
military pody is admirably adapted % sIch sn
pIovuent on account OF the splendid discipline "a
which the enlisted force lends Itself all times
and on no occasion in greater degree than in .
time OF emergency, where a fire has gone beyond
the control Of the local and usual means o. sz-
tingushment
The use OF the army in connection with ars.
finds an example In the devastation wrought ~
the flames following the earthquake in San Fran
cisco in April 1906. The work OF the army wa
soldiers ii would have been impossible IN a time C,
s1,ch general panic and terror 20 accomplish any
thing Thieves we're promptly shot when they ap-
neared for or with their booty The housless
were sheltered by the army tents. and the camp q
tbe refugees was supplied with the needed sanb-
tar- measures which prevented the added cst2s-
trophe Of epidemic Transportation was furnished
,-f,an and where all the regular facilities were par
a1y-zed The guard was maintained 50 long =
was necessary. under conditions that anticipated
the formal request OF the services OF the army
which later came from the California authorities.
THE TROOPS AND GoLDFELD.
Tho War DEPARTMENT IS careful not 70 req1irs
the ,se OF troops unless they are called FOR, and
ono or the great questions which beset the army
DeopIe at every turn IS 70 keep clear OK any en-
uloyrent OF 1.e army which VIII lead 20 protest
and trouble 1t IS g matter or conleulE1IaIsous
bfstor,- that President Roosevelt late in 1907 and
80 =, 1oas had a spirited set-to with Governor
c-o-ts Of Nevada because that state oficial was
-as,onsir1a for retaining IN GOldfeld- then new
mining camp IN the tarOes OF IaooF uni0nist
troubles a military force consisting o. ten q
s1are1 companies OF Infantry nom san tranciseA
u sneadfv developed that the Governor was pay
tre into the hands Of the employers and Presasn'
r,oosa,-e1t discovered that an improper use was
Leino made Of the presence OF the soldiers F~
1-era sent back TO their garrison n san fr4-s-'
b,,t not until there had been between "ashlsal
and Carson City letters which IoEIH al HiipOA
mart OF the official record OF the eHpoyInsn- y q
amy in time Of peace The troops on ina. 0tf
sion at GoIdaeld served their use Wnen llsy I1- '
60, the train early one morning with tner sn4-
,s and their tents. They canped on ne si1
s4,,4ra4 desert and allayed the alarm OF llS app
,o-'efya restored the confidence Of the nine OWE
a-s and brought the disg-untied and ooslrspso-'
Iaborers to a realization Of the 6asiness1A' HUH
tions Of the government ,,--.,-
The use OF troops TO protect properly - iI -
- ,,b labor troubles had its original dsn1onsl&
- q, H. -ai1road riots in Chicago when FIeSf
dent cleveland Ignoring the protest o. ','e-.
AItzeId Of Illinois. sent troops TO tn rarol 49,.
- 1rotect interstate commerce and me I1'-- -,
for carving the United states mal-s il' -
vas we'll taken and political der'a5's'
r1!dabIe setback then and there