The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-19
SCHOOL BOYS AS SOLDIERS.
The Movement to Establish Military Drill
in Public Schools.
That Are Interested Thousand Uniformed Rove % ~
'American Guard" Will Parade n New York and
Brooklyn on Memorial Dav
Copyrighted


nearly 1000 public school boys Of New
York and Brooklyn will parade on Memo
rial day. With their own drum corps TO
furnish martial music. with banners
proudly waving over their even ranks.
with an alignment which cannot be i'm
proved upon by the regular army troops,
or by the famous Seventh regiment, these
boy cadets will be one of the most impos-
ing features of the great Decoration day
parade this year. The movement to es-
tablish military drill in the public schools
is spreading rapidly, and three or four
times as many boys viii turn out this
spring as did last year. A goodly proper
ton of them will be uniformed and armed.
TOO. for they have been organized into reg
fments and battalions Of the American
Guard"
All over the country the military drill
movement is meeting with favor, and the
schools in most of the cities, as well as in
many of the smaller towns. are getting
into line in favor of the innovation. The
question has become one of national i'm
portance, and has already been taken up
in congress, as well as in the legislatures
of most Of the states.
America is a commercial nation, argue
those who oppose the establishment of
military instruction as part of the curri-
culum Of the public schools, and has no
need Of soldiers. China did not need them
a year ago, and no one can tell when our
need will arise. We have a militia Of
100000 men to call, the doubters reply,
for every able-bodied man between IS and
Is is liable for duty in case of war. True,
but how long did China's hordes of I'M
trained men stand against the disciplined
troops Japan put into the field? 1t is a
common impression that America is safe
from enemies because Of her wealth and
great population. Look at the civil war,
say many. Did we not put into the field
an enormous army? True, again, but
with the inevitable but" We had only
unframed regiments composed of raw re-
cruits to contend against. How long would
the northern army OF 1851 and 1862 have
lasted against English, French or German
troops OF years of training?
Such are the arguments advanced by the
opponents Of military instruction in the
public schools, and such are the replies
they invariably meet from the supporters
OF the plan. There are, too, some who be-
neve that training boys to the handling
of firearms viii develop waTlike and blood
thirsty spirit, while few theorists oppose
the plan on the ground that the underlying
principle Of military drill tends to sup
press Individuality But arrayed upon the
other side Of the question are host of adj
vocates. The Grand Army of the Republic
Is really behind the movement to give
some soldierly discipline to the lads in
the public schools throughout the coun-
try.
Ex-President Benjamin Harrison says
OF the PLAN 1t is good in every aspect
of it-good for the boys, good for the
schools, and good for the country"
Other men. whose. opinion is valuable
men IN civil walks of life, as well as those
who have been soldiers themselves-agree
win Cen Harrison. Ex-Gov. Flower,
Zen; Horace Porter. the late Gen. Henry
w Slocum and scores of others have all
commended the movement. Gen. George
W. Wingate is at its head, and represents
me Grand Army of the Republic in it's
nght Tor military training for the youth
OF our country. He has appointed special
aides on his staff, composed of one officer
from each state division of the Grand Ar
my OF the Republic, and they are doing
al hey can to push the matter.
PHI was introduced in congress at the
session recently ended by William j.
Coombs Of Brooklyn, and in the Senate
by Joseph r. Hawley of Connecticut, at
tne lnstigation of the G.. A r. men, to
provide for the recognition of the move
ment This bill authorized the President
to detail regular army officers to the differ-
ent cities which should adopt military in
strucuon as part of the curriculum in their
ScnQols. These army men were to act as
urIllmasters for the boys, and would in
struct them in the arts of warfare. The
second section of the bill authorized the
secretary of War to loan to the public
schools ordnance and ordnance stores''
Ior tne use of the cadets. This bill called
fI0rln bitter opposition from the Woman's
Nhrlstldn Temperance Union, who de-
t Tr1IG4Icsu ~ as dangerous to public morals.
rms body brought strong influences to
pear ana got the bill killed in commit
zee. zen. Wingate, however, says that
ahother bill will be presented at Washing
son IA the fall, with better changes of pas
Although the national movement is a
nC" one, military instruction in the public
i.-iioo4S mas long been practiced in some
SIeIes' IN Boston the system has been
III ruSC thoroughly worked out, probably
anu there the Boston School Regiment
Nunoers about 1900 uniformed boys. In
nv nv York and Brooklyn the movement is
MdkI4g rapid strides The American
Gudrd has been formed from the battal-
ttous OF the public schools, and each bat
anon mas its number and place in line
- N Boston, they turn out on special
nolIoays and have been the feature of
IlOLe IMAM one big parade of real soldiers
n w dshngton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Des
enOllts, Omaha and scores of other small
baa tues and towns the idea is making
That That military drill is popular among the
ttIO'pl9oys IS evident to any one who sees
we lads at drill. They willingly give up
Pa5I OF their play hour to take part in it.
ana the competition for officers positions
- heeh. one has but to look a the air or
tIIlee with which these youngsters wear
th IeiI neat little. uniforms to appreciate
thtSu FEELINGS In most of the schools only
er,,, lesi ser companies are uniformed and
pn9uipped, and there are one or two COM
baliIes composed of the smaller and I'M
udlued boys, which correspond to a drill
quad az ol from which the ranks of the regu-
'aT companies are recruited.
80 pesin with, the military instruc-
tILon carries with it more physical drill
ian Is usual in the schools, and this
az ltSef is wonderful advantage to most
~ me boys. As soon as a lad declares
s sII wish to enter the cadet corps of the
tbbnool ne goes into the squad and is put
titloush course of sprouts. The set
PPas up exercises which are used at West
teOlht come first. This physical drill
ssffgeines him to stand straight, to walk
Snnadqlsht, to breathe properly-in short
-''T1 IN a new boy of him.
hen they have learned to hold their
aS5ads erect and their hands at their
w Wees , without looking as if the palms
,NtIe glued to their trouser legs they ara
yIus4t TO face and march. Marching and
fTHHeenng in columns of twos and tours
ol.oWs, and even more intricate man
DDUVNIes The best of the squads are then
ful INTO the regular cadet corps and al
lived TO get uniforms and carry guns, II
ose companies have them. The ''manuaP'
oI arms is taught until they can handle
,tlelr weapons like veterans, and then
battalions -
The question of uniforming the boys is
one OF the most ifnporfanr byIf Z he l.oa,,