The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-01-30
SECRETARY sTIMsoN's IDEA.


Secretary S,imsou 5 general ide;
about the concentration and manning
Of army posts is undoubtedly good
one trouble with his scheme, however
j., that be miuimizcs the Importance oi
the country west of tho Allcghcnies
probably knowing too little about th'
! United States in general. bu' being IA
miliar chiefly with the Atlantic slope
| lie provides literally for that, and
scantilv for the mld.coDiincnt. aud
even less for the west coast, although
.,hc west coast is likely TO bc the most
important of all from the military
point OF view. lie provides fairly for
the Mexican border. but omits alto
rother tho iSthmian. canal zone, which
VIC arc fortifving, and which should
bc great military camp. He alsp fails
10 recognize the military Importance
of New Orleans, which. by reason Of
the Panama canal and its situation at
the mouth Of the Mississippi rivcr. is
certainly TO be one of the greatest
strategic points in the country.
Probably there viii he little to say
against the abandonment Of the posts
which Secretary Stimsou has marked
for immediate discoutiuuancc. Those
posts arc so obscure ths, little is heard
about them any more, and their dis.
continuance would doubtless be for the
good Of the service But it is quite
different with some OF the posts which
he marks for discontinuancc la,cr on.
why VIC should keep mp the Ethan
Allen post in Vermont. Plsttsburg
barracks ia New York. or the posts at
Robinson. Nebraska. and Missouls,
Moutana But. when II comes TO the
point of discou.inuing the posts OF
Fort Logan. Fort Douglas, aud d. \.
Russell. there will be fight. We
thiuk ourselves that. il It is determined
TO keep up such stations as Fort Por-
ter, Buffalo. two great military sta
tious in Georgia aud the Leavcuvorth
post. it is not easy TO say why Fort
Logan should not be kept up as a rein
forccmeut for the Mexican border
posts, and Fort Douglas as grcat
sanitary station and reinforcement for
the west coast
Fort Douglas !s so situated that
troops can be rushed from it in any
direction desired. lis commanding site, |
It's sanitary advantages, its strategic !
ocation. AL point 10 Fort Douglas be. |
M ny bn .,v.fla bI,
posts from the military point of view |
that can be found anywhere in the |
country. To overlook It's advantages
would appear 10 show that the Secre.
.ary OF War has not given the subject |
The consideration which il requires. |
This view is emphatically endorsed BY
Ioloncl James \. Irons. commanding /
At Fort Douglas, who expresses tho
'erv iust opinion that it is not likely
hat Secretary Stimsou has really de.
ermlued anything about For5 Doug.
as, because he has called upon Col.
rons TO make report upon its mill.
AIRY advantages, and that report is
rot vet flushed. The colonel is quite
light IN concluding that ;he Secretary
would hardly call upon him for a re.
'ort, aud then act before receiving
hat report.
Altogether, therefore. we Judge that
he statcmcn: given out bv Secretary
'timson with respect 10 thc distribu.
ION OF the army aud the retention or
lscontInuancc of army posts is merely
preliminary or tentative. a sort of
foeler a. = were. designed TO leaI
o practical results in cousonance with
- former recommendation. and with
nc generally admitted dcsirablitv. for
ne concentration Of the army 30 chat
Military maneuvers on large scale
iay be possible. as they have not been
the past. Taking this view of II.
5 NC do. NC do not sec ANYTHING very
farming IN Secretary Stimson : sun
cstlons with respcc. To tho possible
iscontlnuaucc of Fort Douglas AZ
ono time IN the future. We believe
hsf clearer and more thorough in.
cstigaiion cf the subject viii amplv
rove the dcsirability from .hc mill.
'ry standpoint. Of the retention Of
ort Douglas, aud Of making il one of
Nc great army posts OF the United
tatcs.