New-York tribune., 1908-11-08
SECRET4RY ROOTS IDEA.
Called Father of Nee Institution for
MiLitaru Learning.


The formal dedication of the new United
States Army War College at Washington VIII
take place tomorrow Leading officials OF the
nation will share in it, and the dedicatory
address will be delivered by the Secretary OF
State Elhu Root who is known as the Father
of the War College" by reason of the fact that 1t
was due to his interest and energy Whhe serV-
ing as Secretary of War that this important ad-
dition was made to the institutions OF the gov
ernmen-
The assemblage that will witness the opening
of the activities of this school of advanced mill
tarv instruction will be limited in number, owing
70 the fact that the auditorium, or lecture hall,
where the exercises will be held, has seats for
only about three hundred persons. However,
what the audience will lack in numbers it will
probably make up in distinction. Invitations
have been issued to the President and all the
member Of his Cabinet, leading officers Of the
army foreign ambassadors and ministers, mill
fary and naval attaches of the various embas-
sizes and legations, and the members of the mill
tary committees of the Senate and House of
Representatives.
This War College may not only be termed the
Keystone of the reorganization of the United
States army, which has been in progress for
some years, but is perhaps superior to any sim
liar seat of professional learning possessed by
States navy has enjoyed the benefit of an ideal
naval war college at Newport, r. l., and now
the other arm of the service has been provided
with an equally admirable institution, where
officers of the regular army and the national
guard will get a post grad uate course In mill
tary science.
The site of the Army War College, on a point
of land reaching out into the Potomac River, Is
a picturesque and historic one, and from most of
the windows of the big building may be had an
attractive view of the river and government
craft of every description. In a sense con-
nected with and supplementary to the War Col
iege proper there have been provided the build
ings of a model military post comprising Off
GERS quarters officers mess, barracks supply
depot storehouses for the quartermaster and
commissary, etc The entire project represents
an expenditure of more than $2OOOOOO for con-
structiOn.
The War Department cave the firm of McKinl,
Meade & White, architects. of New York, the
work Of designing the buildings and the har-
monious grouping of the structures, and the
War College, which alone cost more than 500
OOO is accounted one of the most artistic gov
ernment buildings in this country. In this
building the latest approved form of reinforced
concrete construction has been employed, and
every effort has been made to provide thor
oughly fireproof repository for the library, col
lection of maps and models and other valuable
possessions which will have place in the ref
srence archives of the army.
The dedication of this college by the states
man whose pet project it has been will mark the
illumination OF that ambitious project for pro
gessional military education which mapped
out by Elihu Root while serving as Secretary of
War With the tulflment Of this ideal there is
provided a complete system of military educa-
ton for American army officers beginning with
the post schools at the various forts throughout
the country and terminating with this well
housed War College, where the most advanced
instruction rounds out the educational course.
1t need scarcely be explained that the object
of this whole army educational system, and
especially the final goal, the War College, is to
elevate the standard of professional attainment
In Uncle Sans military establi '.rnent, to make