Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1915-09-05 | Page 10 | Fort Douglas' Claims

F FORT RT DOUGLAS DOUGLAS' CLAIMS MA MANY Y more surprising surprising- things mi might ht LYL occur than that Fort Douglas should attain a 3 new importance when the tho plans for national defense now in inthe inthe the thc their fruition The local post is the peer of any my and the superior of m most t for the tho purposes an increased military establishment may demand Designation of Fort Port Douglas as an army supply depot is the goal towards which the local promoters are arc moving and the idea has hos much to recommend it Not one but many o of these depots will be bo needed when the United States finally awakens to its danger and Fort Port Douglas Doug may rightfully rightfully right right- fully claim precedence when tho the claims claims' of the tho west aro are considered Its only possible rival riyal would be the tho Presidio at San Fra Francisco cisco which would doubtless quickly lie be eliminated from consideration because of its lo lo- lo- lo cation To the layman man unversed in military science the collection of important im im- im- im porta t army armr supplies at at the exposed seaboard would seem seeth foolhardy rd Location climate and ana c environment June have long been urge urged upon the thc War Wll department and Congress as conclusive concu- concu I sive arguments for increasing increasing- Fort Douglas from a regimental reg to lb a brigade brigade bri bri- bri- bri gade ade post It 11 is within easy striking distance of the coast and of our northern and ond southern 1 bor borders ers Two gre great t transcontinental lines leading east cast and south and three lending leading west and south provide adequately for the rapid movement of troops ton to tb ton n a threatened point when needed Its s is unquestioned and is I understood in in Washington for troops returning from duty in the tIle Orient I Inre are usually ally sent hero here The pla plans s of the administration for increasing the personnel and efficiency efficiency efficiency effi effi- oi ot the army are not sufficiently sufficiently sufficiently dc developed to estimate what might rca reasonably be bo obtained for Fort Douglas but the movement mo underway under underway way vay should be none the less prosecuted prosecuted prose prose- as os rapidly as possible Every Evers' city in the country now nO favored ored with witha an a army post will make malce similar demands de demands de dc- mands and experiences with propaganda propaganda ganda of that sort ort unhappily demonstrates demonstrates demon demon- strates that T patriotism or a a. real desire de dc- dc- dc sire to pro provide prodo do something something- beneficial to the country will actuate many of the promoters much less than the sense of local pride and their desire for r local profit Utah however has lias something real realto realto to offer and should escape all aspersions aspersions asper asper- sious upon its motives mothes Secretary of War ar Garrisons Garrisons Garrison's forthcoming visit isit will vilI provide an excellent opportunity to impress Utah's claims upon him and to provo prove they are aro based upon something more than thon municipal ng- ng ag- ag I