Evening journal., 1919-06-14

It's 1900 miles long. and while its
posts are Of wood and other building
materials, its rails will be American
soldiers.
Assistant Secretary Of War Crowell,
until recently acting secretary OF war.
has given me special authorization 10
tell for the first time the facts about
this big fence. placing all the informa-
tion at the armys command al my dis
posal.
The huge barrier isn't fence in ihc
real sense OF the word though is pur-
pose IS the same.
It's a double row OF cavalry patrol
stations, barracks. buildings and mis-
cellsneOus structures. stretching from
Brownsville Tex. on the Gulf Of Mex
leo. 10 Arivaga. Ariz, on the edge Of
the great desert
Al each Of the fifty outpost stations
one troop or csyalry-about 100 men--
Will be on guard all the time. patrol
ling the border between stations.
some distance back from these patrol
stations will be another series OF
twelve posts which will constitute
sort Of second line OF defense" against
the MeXicans These twelve posts will
be larger and each OF them will serve
as base for four;or five of.the patrol
stations on the boundary. The COM
plete system will house 10000 soldiers.
The whole project will cost the war
department approximately S6150OOQ.
according TO an estimate made by II.
Col. o. p Chamberlain, OF the con
structlon division OF the army.
The twelve main posls probably viii
be given the name forts. but ihe war
department emphasizes the fact that /
they viii not BE- forts in reality, but
merely army posts. such as Fort Bliss. |
Fort Rlnggold and the other forts"
already on the border.
In eNpaining this project. Assistant /
Secretary Of War Crowells declared 10 /
i primarily for defense against the |
elements. and not against the MeXicans.
IL Is admitted. however. that the patrol /
stations are for The purpose Of guard |
ing The border against invasi0ns by |
Mexican bandits and cattle thieves. II /
any real trouble with Mexico should I
develop in The future-well. the posts /
are there. That seems 10 be the aiti- |
tude OF the war department.
There are at present about 10000 sol |
diers on the bOrier--all cavalry with
the exception Of the 2Jth Infantry. at
Camp stephen u. Little. These men
have been out OF luck during the war /
with Germany. Not only were they de /
MED The privilege OF going to the front /
and getting crack at the Germans. |
but they have been living in tents for /
about seven years with few comforts i
and many hardships.
Major General Cabell, commander Of II
the southern department Of the army. II
has spent almost his entire military II
career on the border he is typical II
Of most Of the other officers
Since the armistice was signed these Il
soldiers have been making their com
plants heard, with the result that the i
war department decided 10 do some
thing for them.
The forces on the border are not 10
be enlarged now-but when these bar
racks are completed il will be an easy
matter TO accommodate twice or three
times the number Of men now there,
II necessary.
The buildings in the main will be
small structures one story in height,
some wooden. SOME brick and some
adobe.
TWO large cantonments are being
built at Fort Bliss. III Paso. TO house
.Wo regiments OF cavalry. These viii
be brick structures. 4 2J0-bed hospital
IS proposed to be built at Fort Bliss
also, but this Is not yet authorized.
The lumber for the construction
work will be drawn largely from the
arge unused stocks held by the war