Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1916-04-03
FORT BROWN MAY
GO BACK TO WAR
DEPARTM' Mt SOON
SENATOR SHEPPARD ADVISES SEC.
C0B0LlNl Definite ANSWER
WILL BE HAD IN 2 WEEKS.
MATTER NOW IN HANDS OF INTERIOR
DEPARTMENT AND ANSWER is
EXPECTED SHORTLY

Secretary CoboIin Of the City Board Of
Development. announced today that after
two years or longer of effort. indications
are that Fort Brown. the abandoned mill
tary reservation of the war department.
and which 4 few years ago was turned
over 10 the department OF the interior bv
an executive order will soon be turned
back 10 the war department To be again
used a. military reservation. Secretary
tobonI. who has been caretaker of the
reservation. had the matter before United
States Senator Morris Sheppard on the
occasion of both of the senator's visits to
tins city and Senator Sheppard. conform
lng 70 hIs promises. has kept the matter
prominently before the adjutant general
General II. +. Mccain.
Secretary Cobolini today had the fol-
lowing letter from Senator Sheppard:
"fou Will Remember that when | was at
Brownsville IN 1914 we looked over the
buildings at Fort Brown. and that after
ward YOU wrote me a letter in regard To
the necessity of repairing the buildings
Shortly after receiving your letter-4-te,yk
up with the department the matter Of re-
pairing the buildings, and also suggested
that the war department resume iurisdie
ton over the reservation by executive or
der
"The war department replied that it had
no jurisdiction over the reservation, or the
buildings. on account of an executive or
der Of June II, 1912. which transferred
the reservation 70 the interior department.
but said that Il would take up the sugges-
ton a to resumption of the jurisdiction
by the war department when the Mexican
situation cleared up. December Is. 1915
The department took up with the secretary
Of the interior the question Of the resump-
tlon of jurisdiction, except as to a twenty
acre tract which the department of agri-
culture desired to retain You will note
from the enclosed letter that a reply i cx-
pcctcd from the interior department within
a short time
Il believe that m view oil the comprc-
hcnsive plans now going on for thorough
military preparedness. this reservation
should bc returned 90 the jurisdiction Of
the war department at an early date. and
shall continue To do everything | can
along that line"
The following letter from General Me-
Cain to Senator Sheppard was enclosed
referring further To your letter Of
March %. 1916. suggesting the advisable
lty of having the Fort Brown. Texas. mill
tary reservation restored a. the iuriSdic-
tion of the war department, with 4 view
10 it, permanent use for military purposes.
have the honor To inform YOU that under
date of December ID. 1915, this question
wa~ taken mp with the secretary of the in
terror department. I'd whom ii was suggest
cd that draft Of an executive order be
prepared and submitted 10 the president
returning the Fort Brown military reserva-
tion 10 the control Of the war department
with the exception II twenty acre tract
used by the department of agriculture.
which that department desires to retain
''lt has been ascertained from the in
terror department that effort Will be
made a. advise the war department within
the next two weeks a. To the status of the
matter, and upon receipt of this intorina-
ton YOU will he further advised"