The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-10-30
SEES RESERVE
CORPS AS BEST
us. PROTECTION
DR.. E. P. Quain, Back from
Reserve Officers National
Convention, Urges SUPP
port
MUST BE PREPARED
One of Main Functions of Reg.
ular Army Now to Instruct
Willing Civilians
MUST BE PREPARED

DR.. E. p. Quain returned today
from Detroit, Mich. where he went
as delegate to the national con-
vention of the Reserve Ofiicers' as
sociation.
'The:e were q number of prom
inent speakers, including . repre-
sentative from General Pershings
staff, and also the Assistant Sscre-
tary Of War;" said DR.. Quain. "These
men gave special emphasis to the
new plan of defense, inaugurated
since The late war. In this plan one
Of the most important functions of
the regular army is to give instruc-
tion in peace time to civilians who
signify their willingness to serve
their country in time Of war. OF
great and stirring interest were
talks by some prominent Americans
who had travelled abroard and learn
ed how all the leading nations are
profiting by the lessons Of the late
war and are building up their mill
tary defenses accordingly. So, for
instance, in Europe the manufactur-
ers of arships receive large sub
sides from tneir governments, some
up to fifty per cent of the cost OF
manufacture, for the purposes Of
developing air fleets Tor military
uses. cur attention was called to
our government neglect Of all such
preparations because the American
public does not seem to realize the
necess ty for providing suflicient
funds to carry out any pssce time
plan of, national defense. As shown
by recent events, the people Of the
United States are ready to pour out
billions for military purposes sfter
a war has become unavoidable and
are willing to be taxed enorma5bly
and continuously to pay for the past
wars, but cannot see the economy
of spending few millions in prepar-
ations for defense before war is up
on US. The regular army itself is
becoming so small that it has not
personnel enough to give proper In
struction even to those who volun-
teer for training.
"Well meaning but misled people
are to blame for this state affairs.
which plays 50 directly into the
hands of all potential and envious
enemies Of our country. Our hope
lies in the fact that there are about
100000 .c.- c.-.:uooed Americans who
have volunteered for service in state
militia and various reserve corps and
who, largely at the expense Of their
own time and money, are receiving
training in the arts Of national de-
tense.
ut seems Tut reasonable to hope
that a sense of business economy
soon will compel the whole nation to
demand more sensible and liberal
policy for out protection. All argu-
ments to the controry notwithstand-
ing, the surest way to live in peace
is to be prepared that. no one will
dare to attack Us in war. This
method is also the most economical"
DR.. Quain, who is president of the
North Dakota Reserve Officers asso-
citation and hold the ranks of colonel
in the Medical Reserve Corps, said
that the state association, organized
short time ago; has not as yet the
membership desired but from the
enthusiasm displayed he feels GER
tain that within a, short time it will
have one hundred per cent mem
bership.