Show 1 THE ARMY REDISTRIBUTION The sentiment of the war val department is crystallizing crystallizing crys crys- into a t plan to abolish small arny army po posts ts tsa S a aud d to concentrate the army at a a. vcr very few points f i The Now New w York Sun discussing d the proportion says There is slightest reason now why our army should hould bo be disint disintegrated and in tho ab absence sence of a stirring ca call l upon its energies We Ve believe th that t many small posts should I be discontinued But we wo can see very cry many reaSons reasons rea rea- sons why that concentration concentration should have limitations limita limita- In lu the first first place should our county be bec c confronted b by a sudden war upon wh whom m would the government depend Not the little army of the republic but the people who are now following only the paths of peace This being true th the state guards should have every possible encouragement to more and more perfect themselves in tho the simpler lessons of war In this they should have the example and help of the regular soldiers for at least a few w weeks eks in every year We expect that within the next ten years at least one year of the education in our high schools will be chiefly devoted to military militar tr training ining and that it willbe willbo jn ill in camp and that and that the students of three or four adjacent states will be encamped torether and in unison with two or three or 01 more regiments of regular troops troop Lave av their annual annual annual an an- nual maneuvers S This cannot be done if the regular army is concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- at qt three or f four r points point Again amid the general genera genera unrest that thatis is upon the country it is not hard to imagine imagine- the swift need of soldiers to crush any dangerous disorder that might break ou out at any ny point S S SS S Finally let u us for a moment consider why our own own Fort ort Douglas should bo be made a strong rong garrison garrison gar gar- tar tar- rison risen with additional quarters for a still larger garrison Imagine a sudden war with say Japan apan It nis is clear that San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego Dieg and all aU the ports on Puget on-Puget Puget sound would sound would b bunder be under great apprehensions of attack The fleet in inthe inthe inthe the Pacific and the wireless ii-eless' would be doing what jt it could it-could could coul to ascertain t the e real destination of an any hostile fleet approaching the cast T There would be be as many a def defenders in any port s' s the gOvernment government government govern gOvern- ment could muster and troops and tr op would he hc hurried from rom the e eastern st rn stat states A td strengthen strength west co coast st line S S Then Thep suppose H the I Aset should 1 d. d le be upon San Francisco isco What help could the soldiers rs stationed at P dro or 01 San Diego on the south or 01 those at Portland or on Puget sound at atthe the north render l Even ven if they could start their own ports w. w A ld be left defenseless S I But suppose a strong reserve w was s st stationed at Fort Douglas They could be sent to either one of the points r reamed d ab above ve in twenty-four twenty hours sent sem fully equipped Then Fort Douglas i is th best best post i in n. n 1 the the the-coun country coun- coun try for debilitated sol soldiers from the Philippines to recoup in Indeed no other irl inland nd post in re republic public has half the claims for consideration that Fort Do Douglas gl s has hns t |