The Bismarck tribune., 1931-10-01
Military Propaganda

When President Hoover objected to
the propaganda of certain officers
in the United States navy who are
seeking larger appropriations for their
branch Of the service, he touched up
on tendency which is apparent in
the army as we'll and which is of par
ticular interest to North Dakota.
Recent reports indicate that, of all
the forts slated by the war depart
ment for abandonment, the most Wig
orous fight has been made on behalf
of Fort Lincoln, located here. The
protest which went up from North
Dakota was heard in Washington and
the order to abandon the local post
was countermanded.
But this is only one step in the bat
tie which must be staged II this state
is to obtain justice. High officials ap-
parently have started a movement to
get Fort Lincoln labelled as a "use-
less" fort in the minds of citizens out
side of North Dakota who may be in
terested in army affairs.
Evidence of this is seen in the pub
lication by great Chicago newspaper
of a special dispatch from Washing
ton which says, in part:
Constituents of Gerald P. Nye,
(Rep. N. d. one of the radical Re-
publican group in the senate, thus far
have blocked abandonment of Fort
Lincoln, N. D. This is one Of the
most flagrant examples of surplus
posts which are worthless from mill
tary point Of view. Other posts which
the army listed for abandonment but
which are still tenaciously clinging
to the public payroll are" etc.
What happened, Of course, is ap-
parent to anyone familiar with news
paper operations. The writer in ques-
ton was merely reflecting the views
of someone in the war department
who was giving him supposed infor-
nation on a subject Of interest and
who was. at the same time, taking ad-
vantage Of an opportunity to spread
propaganda.
North Dakota is and will continue
to be ready to defend Fort Lincoln
against anyone who cares to term il
useless Fort" but it has a right
to resent the insidious spreading Of
propaganda, just as the president hac
q right to rebuke the jingoists in the
navy department.
Things like these indicate that thu
fight to keep Fort Lincoln has JUS
begun and that North Dakota must b,
eternally vigilant if the bureaucrat4
Of the war department. are not Il
have their way. If the public under
stood the facts in the case, propose
to abandon Fort Lincoln would NEE
with disapproval everywhere. for i
military posts have any use at all il
these piping times Of peace, Fort Lin
coin certainly is one Of the most use
full on the list.
It serves as summer training quar-
tiers for the young men of North an
South Dakota and the fact that it
located where it is tends to increas
the enrolment in this camp. Its op
ponents will find it hard to get pas
the fact that the registration her
was the best in the seventh corps are:
Presumably the real reasons for
standing army in the United State
are to constitute a national polio
force and more especially, to serve 8
the nucleus for citizen army in tim
of stress. The boys who attend thes
citizens camps viii be the soldiers I
the U. S. army in the next war, if or
comes. Does the war department wis
to march them off, unprepared an
unknowing, in the next war as it d
in the last, or does it feel that Il
youth of the Dakotas would be neith'
wanted nor needed in the event {
nostilities?
If they feel that the contribution
North Dakotas manhood would be a
insignificant thing. they might loe
ct the official records Of the war d.
partment which show that men fro
his state suffered more battle casua
ties, in proportion to the total enlist.
from it, than any other state in Il
union.
II there is any real danger Of an q
tack on New York, Chicago, Omal
Or any other great city. the war d