The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-24
the Progressive movement and with
out him the movement must fail.
FORT DOUGLAS Is SECURE.

1t is pleasant for the people Of this
State TO receive the assurance direct
from the Hon Henry l.. Stimson,
Secretary of War, that no has changed
his mind with respect TO the elimina-
ton OF Fort Douglas as u s. army
post, and now gives assurance that II
will be retained as such. 1t will be
remembered that some time ago the
Secretary went over the list of mill
tary posts in this country and marked
a number for discontinuance so far as
his judgment might effect that discon'
tinuance There is no question but
that n good many Of the posts marked
by the Secretary ought to be discon'
tinued, There is equally no doubt that
so far as Fort Douglas is concerned,
that discontinuance would be great
mistake. The Secretary now admits
this, and says that there is no danger
of the discontinuance of Fort Douglas,
will be enlarged.
The Tribune has heretofore presented
the reasons why Fort Douglas should
not only remain as an army post, but
that the force to be kept there should
be 30 increased as to make the post
at least a brigade post. Our private
opinion is that it ought to be di-
vision post; but brigade post at least
is required at Fort Douglas, for this
army post is the most conveniently To-
Gated of all for the transportation of
troops in any direction in which they
may be needed In tho whole mountain
region. It is so far inland as to be
absolutely beyond all danger of attack.
1t is situated in salubrious climate,
and its sanitation is all that could pos
sibly be desired. Troops wasted or en-
feebled by their long duty in the
Philippines recuperate more rapidly
when brought to Fort Douglas than at
any other army post in the United
States. All these reasons are sufficient
to Justify Secretary Stimson in his
present determination to retain Fort
Douglas as an army post,
The assurance by the Secretary of
War Of the continuance OF Fort Doug
las as a military post, given at the
Commercial club breakfast on Sunday,
was ample to reassure the people OF
this city and TO fix absolutely the
certainty that Fort Douglas would be
retained But Elder Smoot appeared |
at the breakfast, and after the Secre-
tary had given the assurance, which ID |
was practically certain he would give |
upon examination of the post and Of |
the topography of the country and the |
strategic situation Of Fort Douglas as
1t relates to the whole mountain couu-
try, and airily added his assurance. The |
assurance Of Apostle Smoot adds moth
ing whatever TO that Of the Secre- |
tary; 1t appeared, in fact, to be rather
cheeky and puerile performance for
Smoot to come forward with this |
assurance, which he was in no wise au-
thorizcd TO give, and which, in IT'S |
self-assertiveness, would |
have been well calculated TO shake the |
Secretary In his determination TO retain |
The post, If that determination had
not been already firmly fixed and made |
lnalterable through the needs of the
public service. There has, in spite Of
assertiveness in this matter.
been no assurance heretofore piyen |
that would satisfy the people that
Fort Douglas was certain to be re-. |
tanned as an army post. But now that
thls assurance is given from the quarter
that counts, the people receive that as
surance as the right settlement Of a
question which ought never to have
been put in doubt.