El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-22
100000 a Month Distrib-
uted Here to the Soldiers
Along the Border.
FORT BLISS IS
MADE GREATER
Engagements VIII Continue
Ell Paso Is Important
6trategical Position.

TOR five years now United States
military men have been busy on
= the border.
What this activity has meant. IS
meaning and viii in the future mean
to FL Paso. cannot be OTsrestimated-
From its very position commercially
and geographically, FL Paso is one OF
the strong strategic points along the
southern United States boundary. It
is destined 10 become a great military
base II is the logical point OF supply
OF the Rio Grande. AZ Brownsville. 10
san Diego on the Pacific coast q dis
lance OF some 100 miles
More than this. from Il Paso, Eoops
could be rushed BY rail into the very
heart OF Mexico and other troops can
at the same time come into Fl Saso
over tie great trunk lines from the
east. north and west
As early as 1911. the war department
recognized the Importance Of Fl PasO
in connection with the always difficult
Mexican question During the early
days Of the Madero revolution. troops
were hurried here and this city became
the pivotal point in the border patrol
OF those days 1t has remained so for
five years
The Present Fort Bliss.
FL Paso has had post in various
parts Of the city since the time II wss
the village OF Franklin. but the pres
emit Fort Bliss military reserTa-
ton was established by congress in
1880. The post contains 1857 acres
and the land was secured from b D
Russell. Dr. Edward Alexander. ". J
Glenn, Richard L Mayer Charles R.
Moorehead and b q. Davis The pres
ent post represents an Investment OF
about S1.50O,0o0.
Fort Bliss was originally only q hat
talon station, but later it was r,ade =
cavalry post and now It Is fully
equipped for q regiment Of mounted
men It is now the home OF the Eighth
cavalry and. in addition headquarters
eighth brigade, Gen John J. Pershing,
commander. Seventh and goth reg1-
ments OF infantry field company i
signal corps; field hospital No 3; bat
terry A. Fifth field artillery "a light
battery: pack train No 4 ambulance
company No s. headquarters and two
battaliOns OF the Fourth field artillery
(moun tain batLeries) and . canton
ment hospital The steady growth OF
the temporary and permanent garr4-
sons Of the local army post has been
due to the fact that the war depart
ment realized its value with the f'rsr
concentration Of troops at FL Paso in
1911
A Big Post.
In addition TO the quarters. barracks
and stables for a regiment OF cavalry,
Fort Bliss contains buildings for
a general officers quarters, the
men of the quarrermaSter corps.
an assembly hall headquarters and
administration building, stair Of
ficers' quarters, post hospital, quar-
termaster depot, work shops. gym
nasiun. bakery. pumping plant and
corps and engineer material The
troops in camp at the post have excel
lent. though temporary, quarters and
all camps have water systems, electric
lights and other convenience
The post has three very good wells.
with a capacity OF 100000 gallons OF
water per day and also good railroad
sidings-
To keep an establishment OF this
size going is no small undertaking.
Most OF the burden falls on the
shoulders OF the supply officer Cap
tain A P. Watts. OF the QuartermaSrer
corps. is the post Quartermaster. pos
ton he has filled for the past three
years He not only handles all the
Quartermaster corps work. which nov
includes the feeding OF the garrison,
but he also is at the head OF the ord
nance. signal corps and engineer de-
partment supply depOts. located at the
post IN the Quartermaster corps alone
he has about 100 men, he is in charge
Of the post bakery and supplies fresh .
bread to six regiments
Capt. Watts Keeps in his storehouses
four complete units Of a field bakery
and has the Quartermaster corps per
sonnet for this outfit at the post He
Is cpAsA0tEcu one OF lLe uGSL l11- -
masters in the service and is one OF
the most popular officers ever sta
toned in or about FL PasO- The dis
bursements OF his office are about q
million and half dollars q year
Many Troops Constantly Here
Ever since the Mexican crisis OF 1911,
when a demonstration OF force was
made along the border. there have been
from five TO eight regiments OF troops
OF all arms OF the service in and about
the gIrW of III PaEn- AT present Two
regiments are Quartered in tOwn-the
Sixth infantry under Col J. h Beacon
in the Second ward. and the 18th in
fantry. commanded by Col W H Al
laire, In Cotton addition These camps
were little more than dusty clearings
two years ago. yet today each camp 70
Confined on page 5. Col. -