Evening star., 1916-07-30

the regular army are of such splendor
and seriousness that the doubter is i'm
mediately convinced that the United
States Army is not thing to be trifled
with. In many of the practices a real
state of war seems to exist. Imaginary
enemies are attacked. and the red
and the blue" armies are pitted against
each other.
Another important adjunct of Fort
Sam Houston. one whose usefulness
will be increased when the provisions
of the recently adopted army reor-
ganization bill are fully carried out. Is
the aero station. On a three-hundred-
and-twenty-fve aviation field, ad-
joining Fort Sam Houston, civilian and
military aviators are daily being trained
in the art of aerial warfare. There are
twelve hangers on the tract. while
eight war planes have been permanent
ly placed at the station.
This station is perhaps the first ac-
tually put into operation by the United
States Army for military purposes only.
Here the young men who are the mod
ern eyes of the army are drilled in
scouting, bomb throwing and aerial
strategy.
There Is also at Fort Sam Houston q
remount station for the army. and the
majority of the $1,000 horses and mules
ordered for the army were concentrated
there.
All branches of the army are located
at Fort Sam Houston, infantry, cavalry,
artillery, signal corps. hospital and am.
bulance corps. engineering corps and
the aero squadron. In addition there u
located in San Antonio one Of the I'm.
portant arsenals of the country and
within the past few weeks ConHesa
has appropriated $4,000 for tt9.ens
largement.
One of the highly importana4uur4aonp
of Fort Sam Houston and the southern
department is the work of the QuaxS
for which are located in San Antonio.
To the officers and men OF the army the
operations of this department cannot
be minimized. 1t is some job to feed
an army such as Is in the Pershing ex-
pedition and is scattered along the Dor.
der at this time Food and supplies Of
all kinds FOR this tremendous body Of
men are handled through Fort Sam
Houston.
So great has this work become that
a small army of civilian clerks IL
necessary to assist the regular army
officers. In addition it was necessary
for the army to build extra store
and warehouses in San Antonio. as the
army was taking no chances on not be-
ing prepared. Supplies of foodstuffs,
medicines, arms and ammunition, motor
come were laid in" at San Antonio.
The feeding of an army is a big job
and costs lots of money. The result
was that millions of dollars were spent
in and around San Antonio for this
purpose.
So important is Fort Sam Houston
from a quartermaster's ~.andpoint that
Gen. Funston urgentl- recommended
that Congress appropr,af, s750,o00 for
the purchase of additions ground ad-
joining department headquarters so
that increased terminal and warehouse
facilities could be provided.
In indorsing Gen. Funstons recon-
mendation Secretary of War Baker
wrote Senator George E. Chamberlain.
chairman of the Senate military affairs
committee, that the acquisition of this
ground would accomplish what is
greatly needed at Fort Sam Houston"
The Senate committee needed the
recommendation and made provision
for the ground in the army appropria-
tion bill.
An adjunct of the army recently es-
tablished at San Antonio is the central
Cross supplies from the intermediate
depots in New York. Cincinnati, Chi
cago and the southern states are as
sembled.
Houston is buster than ever in its his
tory. Exclusive of the vast amount of
administrative work being directed un-
der the direction of Gen. Funston. in
creased numbers of regular troops are
stationed there. while the National
Guard regiments of Illinois and Wis
consin are camped on one of the ma
neuver fields.
Gen. Funston is holding these troops
back from the front, as it were, in
order that they can be rushed to any
point of the border that may be neces-
sary. Then, too, there is in progress at
Fort Sam Houston a civilian training
camp, similar to the one at Plattsburg.
where more than 500 Texans, under
the immediate direction of Gen. Fun
ston. are learning the rudiments Of
military preparedness.
Because of the high and dry climate
of San Antonio, and the fact that cool
ing gulf breezes always are on tap at
Fort Sam Houston, troops stationed on
the border from time to time will be
ordered there. that the officers and men
may rest and escape for a time the
arduous duty of patrolling the border
and guarding against bandit raids.