Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-22
Function of Old Army Posts
Debated as Hoover COnfers

Many OF the old Army posts, relics
OF the Indian fighting DAYS. are be-
Eeved by the public to be cause of
uSeless expense. In the discussion of
the Hoover economy plans, however, it
is recognized that local pride and DO
litical influence are factors in the ulti-
mate results. Similar useless plants
are seen under naval jurisdiction. It
Is believed that consolidation of mill
tary units Will be conducive to greater
efficiency
In the conference on economy held
by President Hoover at the Rapidan
camp the Birmingham News sees "a
sign OF administration health well
worth observing" and That paper holds
that perhaps something will come of
this policy of retrenchment" The
Kalamazoo Gazette recognizes that "the
administration, faced with a serious
Shrinkage in revenues, is determined
to meet the problem in the good, old
fashioned way The Baltimore Sun
remarks that lit may accomplish some
thing worth while for the Army, and
it may also create a precedent in favor
of abandoning some of the useless
yards and shore stations with which
the Navy has long been burdened. -
The Sun advises that reorganization
of those stations promises even more
in the way of economy than the plan
that is under consideration for the
Army"
everybody knows" declares the
Yakima Daily Republic, that these
forts, scattered around the country,
are mere relics OF the time when small
attachments were necessary to keep the
Indians tractable, and that their only
usefulness for many years hes been to
benefit congressman by securing appro-
priations to be expended in their dis
trictS." The Texarkana Gazette be-
lieveS that the posts serve no purpose
except to bolster up local pride and
put Government money in circulation"
but adds that sit will be hard blow
to many towns to lose their Army
posts, especially the smaller towns
where the Army establishment is the
major industry" 1t agrees that lin
the interest of efficiency and economy
the posts must be abolished"
1.-THE decision to cut down the num-
Der of posts is apparently sound one, "
says the Springfield (Mass.) Union.
while the Flint Daily Journal remarks
that some Of the previously favored
showmanship may be removed from
military organizations, but the saving
in doll ars and cents will be more APP
preciat ID by taxpayers who keep a
weather eye on Government costs"
The st. Louis Post-Dispatch comments:
The truth of the matter is that many
Army posts still in use should have
been abandoned long ago. There was
time when forts along the receding
Indian frontier had strategic value, but
1t has long since passed. The people
should ne longer be taxed to keep them
up for sake OF makeshift Army assign
ments. Whether or not the move can
be explained in terms of political eX-
pedience, the fact remains that the War
Department contemplateS no reduction
in rivers and harbors work. Such
discrimination is praiSeWorthy and
The Walla Walla Bulletin contends
that there are plenty of corners which
can be rounded off without lessening
the effectiveness of our forces"
Recalling parallel efforts in the
Navy, the Roanoke World-News asserts
that "a spendthrift Congress was ap-
parently more interested in building
fences in the districts of individual
Congressman than in naval economy"
The New York Sun suggests that sit is
odd that a desire for economy should
promise to accomplish what a desire
for efficiency has never been able to
effect" and explains the situation as
1t sees it: Army officers have known
how the assignment of the Regular
Army to political stations has inter-
fered with the program Of training.
Members of Congress have known it,
too. but most of them have pretended
not to. Part Of the duty of the Regu-
lar Army Is to provide instruction for
the National Guard and for various
civilian and Reserve groupSs Execution
of that duty requires that large num-
Der of officers and enlisted men be
kept on detached service. The effect
of scattering over a hundred ga<risons
that part of the Army ordinarily avail
able for the Equally important JuA Of
attaining a hsh degree of professional