Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-11-16
PERMANENT POST.
AT BORDER PORTS.
GARNER'S OBJECT.
PLACES ARGUMENT IN BEHALF or
RETAINING TROOPS ON BORDER
BEFORE GEN. n. [. SCOTT.
GIVES REASONS WHY PORTS ON THE
MEXICAN BORDER SHOULD BE
GARRlSONED ALWAYS.

main John y. Garner oI the Fifteenth Texas
district, who ha- been conirrrin. with Of
iTal~ oi the war department concerning
troop conditions along the border. hn~ sent
the following letter tu Brigadier General
Hugh l.. Scott. chief of ~iaiI "f the army
pursuant "a your suggestions III our
conversation on Yesterday. have the
honor w submit the following inquiries with
suggestions concerning the same:
"l-I- ID the purpose ~ the war depart
Fort Brown. Fort Rin4gnld. Fort Mcintosh
and Fort Duncan. or at amy Of these
places
''2-Iit YOU DO purpose to maintain
troops definitely at these points. or any
NJ them. what improvements ii amy. are
necessary to properly care for them
''3-Whlt Improvements III the way oi
preparation Tor transportation along the
Hi" Grandr. especially from Eagle PAS
to Brownsville IN the way 81 railroad mae
adam or other method ~ travel. j. nccc~-
~ary or advisable from a military stand
point
Il am aware that il ~ the purpose of
your department To- maintain such number
nt tronp- a. are amply sufficient ~ take
care oi amy situation that mav arise until
conditions are again normal III Mexico.
but ! am anxious to know after that date
what the purpose ui NuHr department will
be with reference to maintaining limited
number ~ troops ai thp various railway
-at"way~ into Mexico
II have had the honor M two different
"cra~iun- "a submit IA your department
some observations a~ 90 the adyi~ahihtv
of maintaining troops w Eagle PAS. I.a-
redo and Brownsville. but am sure you
wi. pardon me Vi again make some -ug-
ge~iIou~ N that connection.
II have said that these were railway
gateway INTO Mcxico-hv referring to ouI
commercial statistics. a~ Well a. the i'm
ports and exports through those port~ ~
given hy the treasury department. YOU will
be convinced III once al To the correctness
of this statement.
"lt J. well known that opposite Eagle
Pass. Laredo and Brownsville there are
Mexican cities oi considerable ~zc. which
~ normal times aggregate several thou
sand citizens. II y also well known that
the Mexican government maintain. mill
larry posts At Pledrs~ Np.ra~, Nuevu La
redo and Matamoro~. where number of
Mexicn. troops are constantly kept
1T - also fact that large proper
lion of the population Of Brownsville. La
redo and Eagle Pas are III Mexican a.,
>eent-~ouie Of them being Mexican citi-
zen~
Undoubtedly the maintaining of troops
at the three or four mentioned Texas points
would have a splendid effect upon the local
citizenship ~ those communities in the
way Of impre~~ing them with the power Of
uur government. and thereby probably re-
~training any disposition they might have
60 manifest their di~plea~ure with any
governmental action.
1T also. IN my judgment. would be
constant example and reminder to those
people who live on foreign soii adjoining
our territory at these points. of our de-
termination 10 command respect for our
citizens located ~ their territory
Il will not try TO even suggest the
thoughts that occur 60 my mind a. to the
military reasons tor maintaining troops
along the Rio Grande. Tor know the iudn
ment Of Your department j. - much su-
peror 10 that OF Il laymen that | will not
harden You with them: however. NAV 1
say that ! am familiar with the policy a.
outlined some years ago ~ the then ~rcre-
tary OF war, Hon. William H. Taft. and
continued up g the pre~eDi time, to aban-
d"ning all small posts and concentratin..
thc troops m larger posts have also
understood that the reasons given for this
ware the better opportunity to drill the
officers and men, a. well a. the more
economic method of maintaining the army
With this policy | have no quarrel for Il
appeals to me.
III also occurs to me that ii might w.
advantageous To both officers and men 70
become acquainted with the territory bnr
derlng Mexico. and that such arrange
ment~ could be- made whereby this informn-