The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-09-21

mandant of the cadets, which posi-
t1on he at present holds under detail
from the U. s. army.
Lieutenant Dentler, we would like
to have you tell the Gazette, for its
readers, the origin of the military
department; how it is maintained and
in whose interest.
"Well, you know, in December, 1898,
congress passed laws authorizing a
detail of 100 commissioned officers
to colleges for the dissemination of
military knowledge, and it was un-
der this law that 1 was sent to the
Oregon Agricultural college. All state
agricultural colleges are required by
Fi' government to have military de-
partments. and it is for this purpose
that the lo0 officers are detailed and
sent "ut lir the government. All the
state agricultural colleges are endowed
by the government, and this college
will receive eventually from that
source $4,000. and as a return for
this outlay, it requires the college to
maintain military department. The
detail Of each officer is for four years.
but so far as the college is concerned
it is continuous. as when my detail
is over, there will be another officer
who will continue the instruction the
same as l have begun it. We receive
our pay direct from the government
the same as any army officer.
'The object of this office in dissem-
mating military knowledge. is that in
time there will be educated men. who
also have military education. to
command troops in case of war-re-
ceive commission; that there will be
disseminated throughout the country
qualified men TO take commission
and command troops. All these 1O0
officers do not go to agricultural col
leges. however. Yale. Harvard and
Princeton ask for military officers
and have sufficient influence to Sc
cure them. All the large colleges
throughout the country have depart
ments under the governments detail
for teaching military science and the
art of war. 1t is through the endow
ment of state colleges that the gov
erDment claims a pledge that they
will maintain their respective mill
tary departments.
1--WE teach military science and the
art of war as far as we go. the limit
depending upon the time allotted us
by the college authorities. In this
college the authorities have given one
hour, which is fifty minutes, or five
school hours per week. All male stu
dents unless physically incapacitated
are required to drill and study mill
| tary tactics. the art and science o
| war. In a single year boy does no
progress very much. He may Learn
| the manual of arms. but that is F.:
| very small part of his military educa
| ton. But boy who stays here fo1
| four years ought to be able to tax,
| a commission in the national guart
and in fact he is qualified to take com
mand of company. equip it and d,
| everything else that is necessary al
well as any one with the same amour
of military instruction. You can read
lily see the advantage he will hav'
over other men not versed in th'
| science; he is prepared to take com
mission and command troops, whereas
If he was instructed he would hav,
| to enlist as private and in turl
work out his promotion
| Besides, it is great advantage t,
the government in case of a war
to have men-educated men who ar
| qualified to take commission ant
do good service. Another strong oh
| iect of the departments military sci
| ence IN these colleges is to inculcat Il
| in the minds Of their students pa
triotism: love for our country: homo
to our flag; what our country is doin;
| for them and has done for them. S,
you can see that every thing connect
ed with my work here is in the inter
est of the national government. Whil
my work is in perfect harmony witt
the college, it is for the government
In teaching military science 1t
expected that 1 will give as mucl
time to higher military instruction a
possible. A portion of the TIM
throughout the year is devoted I,
theoretical study and recitation work
as well as practical instruction. w
are somewhat handicapped here b,
not having an armory. in as much a
there is so much wet weather. Still
we get good results from the practi
cal instruction given.''