Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-21

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w of the Southern Department OF
I'D the United States Army, y. which Msl
Gen. Frederick Funston. Fort Sam
Houston, Tex, is today and has been
since the Mexican situation threatened
20 mar the harmony of pan-American
union the military capital of the ma
tion.
From the War Department at Wash
ington to Gen. Funston's headquarters
direction OF the Pershing expedition in
Mexico and direction of the distribu-
tion of the national guardsmen shift
ed. AS result Fort Sam Houston be-
came overnight the most important mill
itary center in the United States and
one through which the military des-
tiny of the country was directed.
President Wilson and the War De-
partment at Washington looked to
Gen. Funston, and the army in turn
depended upon the executive head OF
the Southern Department. The calling
out of the national guardsmen. which
army officers believe did as much to
impress the de facto government of
country would be maintained as all
the overtures for peace that came from
North, South and Central America, was
result of a recommendation from Fort
Sam Houston.
Always of strategic Importance and
always one of the most important of
the military fortresses scattered
throughout this nation, Fort Sam
Houston never held as commanding
position as it has the past few weeks.
This post, the second largest in the
United States, is on the outskirts of
San Antonio. and from San Antonio
there radiates in every direction to the
border a network of railroads which,
had they been constructed for mill
tary purposes, would have done credit
TO the railroad military strategists of
Germany, who have acquired a world
wide reputation because of the manner
the railroads of the central kingdom
were builded.
The southernmost city of any size
in the United States is Brownsville,
Tex, at the extreme southwestern point
of Texas and directly across the Rio
Grande from the hostile Mexican city
of Matamoros where "Muerta Gringo""
(meaning Death to the Americans")
was frequently heard in the past few
months. At Brownsville the New York
national guardsmen are stationed
Brownsville is just twenty -four
hours from San Antonio and is reach
ed by two direct lines of railroads.
phar "a
Kingsville and other points in the Flo
Grande valley, where a reign of ter
ror was in progress last fall because
of a desire os group of bandits. oper-
ating under the co-called plan of San
Diego, to capture and reciore to Mex
leo all of Texas-all o; these towns are
even less than a DAY from San Antonio.
Going west from Brownsville along
the meedering5 OF the Rio Grande are
the border outposts of Hidalgo, Prog
reso. Zapata and San Ygnacio, all of
which have figured in the dispatches,
now centers for large groups of reg
ulars and militiamen- These places are
also less than twenty-four hours from
Fort Sam Houston.
Almost directly south of San Antonio
Is Laredo, opposite the Mexican from
tier town of Nuevo Laredo. Fort Nc
Intosh is located at Laredo, and there
the Maine and Massachusetts, militia
men, as well as guardsmen from other
states. were stationed to be in read
mess for a quick drive to the northern
Mexican metropolis of Monterey and
saltillo. Laredo is less than six hours
from San Antonio.
Hardly seven hours from Fort Sam
Houston is Eagle Pass, where Fort
Clark is located. Eagle Pass. just OPP
posite the Mexican town of Piedras
Negras. meaning BLACK rock" is an
other highly important troop center
where the Maryland. Kansas and ver-
mont citizen-soldiers are camped.
But half a day from San Antonio is
Del Rio. in one of the bends of the
Rio Grande. and subject to attack from
many sides in the mountainous Mex
lean state of Coahuila. There, too,
many troops are stationed.
-
Further west Is the Big Bend" eoun-
try. wheer Glenn Springs. scene of the
first recent bandit raid into Texas,
is located. The big Bend" is today an
almost CONTINUOUS military camp. where
thousands of troops are stationed. Then
there are Fort Davis. Fort Leaton, Fort
Hancock and, finally. in Texas. Fort
Bliss, at Ell Paso.
Fort Sam Houston ara san Antonio
are so situated that :rom an army
standpoint they themselves e3u t'ruttd
real preparedness" In addition to