History of Fort Snelling

Continued from Page Six

such as had existed during the first forty years. It was the passing of Old Fort Snelling which for so many years had been the remotest outpost of the law.

The development of the Northwest was not brought about by the spectacular and romantic incidents which chroniclers love to record. So gradual was its progress that the factors contributing to it can be seen only in the perspective of fity years. It was the exception and not the rule to note that a company of soldiers was up the river watching the movements of the Indians, that a missionary had been presented with a ham, or that an explorer took with him so many vegetables from the gardens of the fort, that the gunwale of his boat was brought within four inches of the water. But such are the stray references which indicate the almost complete dependence upon the fort of all the factors in the development of the Northwest.

When the Civil War began and it became necessary to encamp our volunteers in this vicinity, Gov. Ramsey and Gen. John. R. Sanborn, adjutant general of the state, after considering several locations, decided that Fort Snelling was the most eligible place for a military rendezvous. A conference was had with Mr. Steele, who said he was unwilling to relinquish his hold upon the fort and the reserve to the United States Government, but was perfectly willing to let the State of Minnesota occupy it with state troops. Accordingly the first volunteers were the First Minnesota Regiment, under command of Col. Willis A. Gorman, on April 29, 1861. In fact all of the Minnesota regiments and batteries received their lessons in the duties of the soldier inside and around the wall of the old fort.

During the war Fort Snelling was a busy and important post. Among the distinguished citizens and officers of the state who were either stationed at the fort or had something to do with its affairs, mention should be made of Governor Alexander Ramsey, who was the first to offer to President Lincoln troops for the suppression of the rebellion.

Old Fort Snelling, as originally constructed, could comfortably house two companies of Infantry. The new fort had accommodations for one regiment of Infantry, two of cavalry, and two light batteries. The area covered by the fine buildings, which are grouped in several places on the reservation, was more than ten times as large as the original post.

The year 1898 was marked by the erection of a number of new buildings, including soldiers' barracks and officers'

SERGEANT THOMAS C. O'BRIEN

Battery E, 6th Field Artillery, allocated recruiter on duty with the Philadelphia station, a soldier who has made good as a canvasser. Sergeant O'Brien says: "I find that the manner in which a prospect is approached is a matter that should receive very serious consideration. The prospect that shies away from a recruiter is just the one to start after because he often makes the better soldier."

quarters. Buildings at the upper post (known at this time as A Row and B Row) were constructed originally for Headquarters Department of Dakota.

The necessity for a larger post was evident at that time, and two additional Infantry barracks and a number of officers' quarters were erected.

Later on, Cavalry and Artillery troops were assigned when barracks and quarters were constructed for their use. Shops, stables, and such other buildings as were needed, were added to provide a post for a full regiment of Infantry, a battalion of artillery and a squadron of cavalry.

In 1913 the 28th Infantry, which had been stationed at the fort for some years, was sent to the Mexican Border.

When America entered the World War, the 36th Infantry was stationed at Fort Snelling. The 36th was called for overseas service, but only a part of the regiment got over.

After the 36th left the post, the fort was made an officers' training camp, the First, Second and Third Officers' Training Camps occupying the fort in turn.

On September 21, 1918, U. S. General Hospital No. 29 came into being, and the entire post was given over to hospital work until August 10, 1919, when the General Hospital was demobilized. The 49th Infantry next occupied the fort but was relieved by the 3rd Infantry, which regiment still enjoys the advantages and charm of this romantic old Army post.

The Infantry Rifle Match

(Continued from Page Three) arrives at the 200-yard firing point before the 20 minutes allowed has elapsed, a score of 5 points for each man for each 30 seconds is added to the score for the advance.

The following scores for distribution are awarded. The value of the hits made on all the horizontal section of a team target having been computed, are tabulated as follows:

For the section with the highest value, the final value will be the same. For the section with the second highest value, the value will be doubled. For the section with the poorest value, the value will be trebled. A team's score will, therefore, consist of the value for the advance plus value in saving time, if any, the value of the hits as finally computed with proper adjustment for distribution of fire, plus the value for saving ammunition, if any. The total of the above shall constitute the score in combat firing for that team.

All teams must be careful to observe the signals in the pits, as any attempt to advance when the signal is set against them is penalized as follows:

The range officer in charge of that team, if he sees an attempt on the part of that team to advance when the signal is against them, will order "suspend firing" in that team, and will suspend the fire for 30 seconds. For any attempt to advance a squad before the other squad has arrived at the same line, the range officer will order "suspend firing" holding the team where it is for 30 seconds before allowing the advance to continue.

The "Infantry Match" is open to all teams eligible to compete in the National Rifle Team Match and under the same conditions as to personnel.

For the purpose of awarding trophies and badges, teams are classified as U.S. Service Teams, National Guard Teams, Civilian Teams, including teams representing C. M. T. Camps, and school for college teams, including R.O.T.C.

The team in each of the above classes, which makes the highest total score as provided for in the method of scoring, is awarded a trophy, and each member, including the team captain and team coach, receives a bronze badge. The remaining teams in each class receive one set of bronze badges, which are awarded in the proportion of one set for each four teams competing in each class.

War Department Poloists Win Cup

In the final match for the President's Cup of the Philadelphia Country Club June 16, at Philadelphia the War Department polo team defeated Green River, N. J., 12 goals to 6.

D

URING my service as Secretary

of War I have been called upon to discuss the subject of National Defense from many different viewpoints and before many groups of listeners. I have discussed the history of our defense policies, the peace-time work and accomplishments of the Regular Army, the needs of the three components of the Army of the United States, the problems of industrial mobilization, and the spirit of the National Defense Act itself. Most Americans understand vaguely that there is a new "Army of the United States" and that it has three parts, the Regular Army, the National Guard, and the Organized Reserves. They have a slight knowledge of the Regular Army and of their own local units of National Guard. I am often asked, however, "Just what is this Organized Reserves' of which we hear but seldom see?" As a matter of fact the Organized Reserves are in one sense the most important element of our defense scheme. In this discussion I propose to discuss national defense solely from the viewpoint of the civilian.

was

Address by the Secretary of War Before Chamber of Commerce

San Francisco

ple that they intend to fight their own battles and to develop within themselves those qualities of sclf-defense that made us respected and feared during our early history.

I am sometimes asked, "Why do we need these reserves at all? Why not have an army and then rely upon the bravery of our people for the necessary support?" If this is a serious question it demands serious thought. It is true that we dislike the thought of war and intend to maintain peace to the best of our ability. It is true that our people have as much natural bravery as any people

WHAT ARE THE ORGANIZED RESERVES?

use

It was not difficult to organize a posse. since most citizens were able to weapons with effect and were hardened to life in the saddle. From the broader view of national defense, the Organized Reserves are the posse of the nation.

If your early western outlaws had been armed with machine guns, airplanes, gas, and equipped with factories and in fact complete industrial organization, a posse of civilians would be unable to cope with them, particularly if the latter were, as most Americans are today, unfamiliar with weapons and softened by life in the cities. It is necessary to train our citizens so that they can take their parts in any posse which we might be called upon to send out in the future. We do not wish to train them for compulsory service, at the will of a centralized governThere is no militarism in our new policy. We merely wish to maintain for Americans the qualifications for self-government that have always been theirs and to which we owe what we are. The first qualification of independence and self-government is the art of self-defense. The primary need

ment.

The fundamental principle of the Organized Reserves is contained in the Constitution, which provides for the use of the unorganized militia in the common defense. The unorganized militia is a term well recognized in law, referring to all able-bodied citizens between the ages of 18 and 45 years. In our earlier history there were many occasions when the unorganized militia drawn upon for the common defense, quotas being furnished by common consent of states and localities. In those days nearly every American was expert with the rifle, and skilled in woodscraft which was the foundation of the training of a soldier. There was little need to organize the militia in time of peace. For over a hundred years the idea of the Organized Reserves lay dormant. Finally the World War broke upon us and we were brought to the realization that Americans no longer receive a peacetime training in self-defense and that, unorganized for defense, our voice in behalf of peace was not compelling enough to protect our neutrality. Having realized the tremendous extravagance of a policy of inertia, we at last enacted a law providing for the actual development and organization of the unorganized militia. The National Defense Act of 1920 authorizes the conversion of the unorganized militia into the Organized Reserves. It is the expression of the American peo

in the world. But we cannot overlook the need to be trained. We can learn from the example of our local enforcement of law.

Our Federal organization springs from the fire side. On these great western plains, an industrious people have lived and accomplished great things. They respected the law of teamwork and good will, but they scorned the law of blind obedience. They were not willing to maintain large forces of permanent police to insure their peace against any disturbance and to bother them about petty details. They preferred to maintain a handful of sheriffs for emergency use and administration of the law, and to rely upon good citizenship for support during periods of outlawry. If extensive depredations were committed, the sheriff was authorized to organize a posse comitatus and the posse did what was necessary.

of our country, relative to national defense, is the preparation of our citizens for the national posse; the latter to be sent out only upon the decision of our people themselves.

The framers of our Constitution well knew that they were taking a step which was a momentous one in the history of the world. They presented us with a basic document which represented their best judgment of the correct principles of American self-government. So long as we preserve the character which has

molded this great Republic, our Constitution will remain our protection and our trust. We love the independence which it guarantees. We believe in the progressive value of individuality which it permits. From an internal viewpoint our Government is merely a sort of rules committee to insure fair play among industrious and progressive Americans. Externally it is the symbol of our community of interest. Its external purpose is the common defense. The Regular Army is its agent in the expression of its will relative to the common defense, as the National Guard forces are the agents of the separate states. The Organized Reserve, on the other hand, is not an agent, but is rather the symbol of unity of the American people. This body represents the united front of our United States. The Organized Reserves (Continued on Page Twelve)

the United States as a result of

the World War, and they were as varied as they were numerous, none was so vital, so fraught with dangerous consequences as the one that brought us face to face with the astonishing realization that the ratio of physical unfit amongst us had reached a truly alarming figure.

The data gathered by the Statistical Branch of the Provost Marshal General's Office demonstrated that 33 per centum of those examined for induction into the service failed to pass the physical requirements and this, despite the fact that these requirements were considerably below the standard insisted upon by the Regular Army in time of peace. Approximately 15 per centum more of our young men had physical defects some of which would prove eventually disabling and which could, and in some instances were easily corrected by physical training and instruction. When we reflect upon this ratio of the physical impotence of the young men of the country between the ages of 21 and 31 and realize that this 50 per cent represents one-half of the flower of our young manhood, the bulwark of the nation in the time of national peril, the seriousness of the condition is apparent.

It is not within the province of this article to go into detail nor search for the reasons that are responsible for this condition of affairs. The statistics are irrefutable. The condition does exist, no matter where the fault may lie, and the question is, what are we going to do about it?

Personally I can only speak for the Army, what we are doing, how we accomplish it and how, through example, we hope that any good that may be derived is passed on to the country of which we are but the servants. Our problem insofar as the actual training is concerned is comparatively simple as against the national problem. By strict physical requirements for enlistment in

In view of these strict requirements it will probably come as a surprise when I say that after the individual has passed this rigid examination he still is unfit for the full physical performance of his duty as a soldier. We must equip him with the extremely rigid physical stamina required in the field of battle. To a people who have so recently known the horrors of Flanders' mud and of the trenches in France this needs no corroboration. Realizing then that the body politic cannot supply soldiers whose physical stamina will meet all the requirements of modern warfare, the Army must set about to develop its personnel. This is accomplished in two ways; first by what we term "athletic training", and second by what we term "recreational athletics".

By athletic training I mean the socalled setting-up exercises along the lines first made famous by Colonel H. J. Koehler's Manual of Disciplinary Physical Training, and subsequently by Mr. Walter Camp's "Daily Dozen". This training, while intended primarily for physical improvement, has a disciplinary value which can hardly be over-estimated. Each day a drill period of approximately 45 minutes is set aside for this work. The exercises are scientifically developed and

are calculated to square up the shoulders, fill out the chest, strengthen the arms and legs and in general, give the man that bearing which so definitely denotes the soldier. As the soldier's training progresses this setting-up exercise is varied with other exercises such as bayonet combat, boxing instruction, etc. It is a system that adapts itself readily to the need of schools and colleges and other institutions and which is being utilized in a great many places throughout the country.

I would here digress for the moment to state that in general an athletic movement looking toward the all-around physical development of the body should only be undertaken after medical examination to insure that the body is strong enough to withstand a certain given set of exercises. In the Army we preclude this in part by our rigid entrance requirements but more so by utilizing officers who specialize in giving this athletic work. Carefully avoid giving to untrained men violent exercises as this practice too often leads to serious injury.

Another development which resulted from the World War was the necessity for standards of achievement or training in any given pursuit, the definitely setting up of certain things that must be done before a person was considered satisfactory in a particular line. In the physical game this meant how much advance from the preliminary physical requirement must the individual show before he is considered to be fit and able to meet the manifold physical requirements that would be made upon him in campaign. Much study has been made of this subject and as a result the National Amateur Athletic Federation at the request of the War Department has developed a series of tests or, if I may use the term, yard-sticks of achievement which measures all-around athletic ability.

At first consideration people familiar with athletic achievement may discount the effectiveness of the method of meas