The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-06-15
On It's Own Head

cooperation to the committee which is striving to keeI
Fort Lincoln occupied by troops of the regular army. III
more ways than one it is important to this city ano
state that this military post be kept in active service in
stead Of being abandoned as the wal department has
proposed.
The reasons why this is so are numerous ard those
which are considered most cogent by any individual Will
depend largely upon his point Of view, but as a general
matter it can safely be said that every North Dakotan
feels this state is entitled to one army post and that to
abandon Fort Lincoln now would constitute a slap in the
face for North Dakota.
The real reasons for the attempt to evacuate Fort Lin
coin are not clear at this distance. In the original an
nouncement by the war department the excuse given was
that such action would promote economy and military
efficiency. Information received from Washington by
the local committee, however. indicates that the war de-
partment is not at all prepared to argue the economy
feature of the proposal. The high moguls' Of our MILL
tary department would not be, for they know as well as
do residents of North Dakota that they would lose.
The mere cost Of moving the troops from this post to
another location would eat up all the saving in main
tenance which might be made in 10 years. In addition,
It probably would be necessary to enlarge some other
post while this one was being abandoned. If it is dol
lars the government is looking at, it can do nothing
better than leave the troops here.
From the standpoint of military efficiency the dispute
will wage fast and furious between two different schools
of thought in army circles. The brass hats who hold
the generalships naturally like to have large concentra-
tions Of troops in order that they may practice their war
games. They ask plaintively how they are to get ex-
perience in handling large bodies of men unless they
have the men at hand to direct.
Other military tacticians, remembering that the ma
tion's fighting has been done by the men and officers IN
the front line trenches, point out that the men IN the
ranks and the junior officers get their best training while
on duty in the smaller posts. There they have added
responsibility and conditions are such that interest in
-. 4 g 4t.,;. r,ocI- d. ~ro1,oAoL rrL,, do
not go to the generals teas SO often but they do get in
more hard ticks on their jobs. They make real soldiers
Of themselves.
From the standpoint of military efficiency, therefore,
the argument seems to favor retention of the small posts
which the army seeks to abandon and of which Fort
Lincoln is one.
When viewed in the light of other available facts 1t
seems probable that political considerations have had
considerable weight in suggesting the scheme to aban-
don Fort Lincoln and other posts. In Massachusetts
the army has a new post which never has been occupied
It becomes a matter of political economy, therefore. to-
withdraw troops from Fort Lincoln and similar posts
and place them in this new one.
If this method Of reasoning is being followed it is up
to the people of North Dakota to teach the war depart
ment and the administration that they are reckoning
without their host. The people of North Dakota should
make it plain that they will express their resentment at
the abandonment of Fort Lincoln in the only way open
to them. That is by voting their disapproval of an ad-
ministration which would so ignore their rights and their
interests.
1t appears now that Mr.. Hoover will have rough sailing
in his efforts to carry North Dakota in 1882. If he is to
get the electoral votes from this state he will need every
friend and every vote he can muster, even though North
Dakota always has been listed on the political maps as
'soidly Republican,"
If the Hoover administration persists in its proposal
to withdraw the troops from Fort Lincoln it will be MAX
ing a difficult situation worse for itself,
If troops are to be moved from Bismarck and North
Dakota to make friends for the administration in some
other section 1t must be expected that North Dakota
citizens will give expression to their resentment.
The political argument is one which should have little
weight in deciding a matter where either efficiency or
economy really is involved, but it should not be ignored
when the question under consideration is as essentially
political as this one appears to be.