The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-09-23
Army Economy Concerns Fort

With such a splendid training post located mere as
Fort Lincoln, Bismarck naturally IS interested IN army
administrative policies as they affect the distribution o.
the personnel Of the land military organization. Prcsi-
dent Hoover's recent call OH the general stair Tor a sur
vcy Of the army expenditures with a view to locating pos
sible phases to which to apply the rule OF economy arc"
such attention here.
The presidents call was OF a broad character, however
and indicated in nowisc where the pairing knife might
be applied. whether in concentration OF tho enlisted
forces in a restricted number OF posts or IN some othcf
way. It is difficult to imagine any army phase that
would bear c%conomizing. III fact. The army is opcratco
economically now. Surely there can be no reduction IN
expense that would reduce the personnel or restrict inc
purchase and maintenance of equipment.
Congressman william Wood. of Indiana. head OF the
house appropriations committee. has seized on the occa-
sion as an opportunity for knocking the official rank.
He would reduce the number Of generals and other OF
ficcrs down the line to and including second leutcnants.
He says the army is topheavy because there is one Off
Ger to every ten men.
This is hardly intelligent criticism or a proposal Of
desirable economy. What the army should be, inaslnuch
as it is q skeleton organization at most. Is. IL effect. 4
reservoir Of officers in case war should require its ex-
pansion and service. At the time of entering the World
war the United States army was wocfuly under differed.
Men can be obtained by the millions. but officers arc not
trained in a day. The army, therefore, should be main
tanned as a supply school for commanders in tho event Of
Q war emergency.
This may be a bit expensive, but not nearly as cxpcns-
I've and. in addition, unfortunate, as trying to officer a
raw force Of fighting men when hostilitics arc at tho door
or actually under way. Modern warfare has become SO
complex that highly trained technicians in all military
branches are essential at all times, to keep abreast with
such forms OF progress and discovery as arc related to
military organization and effectiveness.
It also must be noted that the army is a working Or
gan.zation. It is widely engaged i'll NON military activ-
tiles. III fact sl30O0o,0o or roundly one-t,ird of its funds,
are devoted to such operations. The army is entrusted
with the administration Of the Panama canal zone. It
has charge. through its corps Of engineers, Of tho coun-
trys rivers and harhors. an immense job in itself. 1t
conducts the Mississippi river commission, a permanent
troll affairs. 1t has recently been called upon to establish
army engineers was dispatched to Nicaragua for survey
isthmus. A total personnel of 300 officers and men will
be engaged on the task-nearly the same number as the
personnel Of the Fort Lincoln post.
President Hoover. however, is not the ruthless type Of
economizer. rather an economizcr in the sense Of ef-
ficiency, and there IS no fear that he ~contcmplatcs any
arbitrary policy with regard to the $4O0, 100000 annual
appropriation given the army. He must be presumed to
be seeking. rather, the efficient use of that appropriation.
Of getting q dollars value for a dollar spent. Washing
ton, therefore. assumes that sources will be sought in the
organisation for looping off anything Of a decorative ma
ture. AS for the posts, they admittedly are conducted
on q strictly simple basis, under rigid regard for dollars
and cents. The Spartan economy practised at these
would descend to virtual starvation were any attempt
made to cheaper their scale Of maintenance.