The Washington herald., 1913-07-11
MANY USELESS
ARMY POSTS TO
BE ELIMINATED
Secretary Of War Garrison to
Start Wednesday on Tour
Of Inspection.
CONGRESS MAY OBJECT
Department Holds hat Much Waste
and lns6eieney Of Service b
Due to Pressst System.
CONGRESS MAY OBJECT

Secretary of War Garrison will leave
Washington next Wednesday on q five
weeks tour of inspection Of the army
posts in the United States. This trip 10
preliminary to the formulation by the
Secretary Of a plan for the elimination
OF the many useless army posts and the
concentration of the army in less scat
tered units. upon military instead OF q
political and pork barrel basis. Maj.
Gen. Leonard Wood, Chief of Stan. and
Maj. Gen. James B. Aleshire. chief Of the
Quartermaster Corps, will accompany
him.
Secretary Garrison is convinced that
the greatest source of waste and inefi-
cheney in the United States Army today
is the spreading of the army all over the
country in small posts.
The Secretary hopes to evolve, after
his return, some scheme for the elimina-
ton of these useless posts In which he
can secure the cooperation of the MEM
bers of Congress most interested in them.
II they decline to cooperate with him.
Secretary Garrison intends to go Just As
far as his authority in law will permit
toward distributing the army throughout
The United States upon . rational and
military basis.
Mr.. Garrison is well aware that vast
sums have been spent by the government
upon pO6IS WHICH lHc army AiAo
garded as worthless from military
standpoint. He also expects that pres
sure will be brought to bear upon him
tc retain each post now regarded az
useless, but hopes to gain Congressional
sanction to a plan for adjusting the sit
uation on a military basis That his
predecessors found IL impossible to put
similar plans through, because OF oppo
sition in Congress, Secretary Garrison
,,~A - ne
should not make the attempt.
Speaking of his forthcoming inspection
trip, the Secretary said yesterday:
"In making up my estimates last week.
I found that I could not pass upon the
projects with respect to the army posts
until / had personal knowledge concern
ing the Individual posts and their re-
quirements. That. furthermore. until I
had personal knowledge ! could not
adopt or determine upon any plan for
the concentration of the army. For
that reason purpose making a compre-
hensive inspection Of the existing posts.
with a view Of determining where. in my
view, II would be wise to station the
army.
VIII Need Cooperation.
After I make the inspection and reach
a conclusion, ! will need the cooperation
Of Congress. / shall not need II for the
purpose of taking troops away from any
place. because that Is a matter solely
under the direction of the Commander-in-
Chief. who acts in these matters through
me. / shall need II II II Ia necessary in
a given State to enlarge posts. II I face
a situation in any locality, the members
Of Congress from that locality will have
to cooperate with me in order to enable
me to make habitable the posts that
fix or determine upon; IL they do not, I
shall have to do the best can without
aid.
Undoubtedly the people who are bene-
fitted by the presence Of the army at
different posts will put very strong pres
sure upon their representatives in Con-
gress with a view of having all Of the
army that they can get at every place
where their presence would benefit people