Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-31
MILITARY SCHOOLS.
HOW SOLDIERS ARE MADE FOR
THE EUROPEAN ARMIES.
Must Have Good Educntion-The In
struction Given students and the
Cost at the Courses In the Different
Systems.
Systems.

schools with the United States Military
Academy al West Point shows one mark
Cd dnerence-that IS. ln the re-
qulrements for admission says the Bos-
ton Herald. At West Point the candidate
Is examined only in reading. writing. spell
Ing arithmetic. English grammar, geogra-
ply and United States history. Compare
this with the array OF mathematics and
science Of language and literature upon
which the European devotee Of Mars Is
expected 10 pass his preliminary test.
The United States curriculum is in gene
raj shorn OF the purely abstruse and or
namental subjects, but not so the exact
ing course Of Intellectual training de-
manded in the foreign schools.
The Belgian school, which corresponds
most nearly to the United States Military
Academy. is the Ecole Militaire, at lXel-
les The object Of this school is to sup
ply officers to the infantry. cavalry, ar
! nuery, and engineers. and all students
at the close of the second years course
must contract TO serve for eight years.
Candidates for admission must be native
or naturalized Belgians between the ages
of II and q Entrance IS obtained by
| passing "a rigid competitive examination
held annually before an Examining Board
| Amounted by the King. In the mater vi
age limit exceptions are sometimes niue
! In the cases Of soldiers or the aCliFe
| army nm TO the age Of % years. university
graduates holding one or more uee'0'-'
| mn ~ % wears and militamen.
| The examination for intending artlhei
mon and engineers includes arithmetic
nntiro algebra through bnomlal theo-
[ ron, the uee Of logarithms, plane ana
solid geometry, analytical geometry oe
two dimensions. the first principles -,
descriptive geometry, and plane an I,.
| spherical trigonometry. Inc ihi'iiN
! and cayalrv sections are not examine
In advanced arithmetic and algebra, nor
in ANALYTICAL or descriptive geometry anu
thoir test i'm general is by no means so
evactinR as that demanded or the en-
/ cheering division. s.,
Roth sections are instructed alike du-
ring the first two years, IN rItnCn'
/ Flemish. German. or Englsh nyBlene'
I bippoloqv drawing. military history
and geography and regulations, exercises
and drills. administration, ioriihcatioh'
gymnastics. fencing. riding ana SWIM
nine The infantry and cavalry sections
/ roceive elementary instruction In de-
/ ecriptiva geometry mechanics, topoBrd-
phv. physics. chemistry. the cohsl ruc-
/ ton and use of small arms ana aruiieIY
/ and Belgian bridgo-buildine.
/ At the close Of the second year all stu-
dents who pass the requisite eXaml-
/ nation are commissioned second heuten-
| ants but the members of the artillery
| and engineers sections remain at school
/ two wears longer, being called student
second licutcnants.
The course OF the engineering division
! IS the more exhaustive. The addluonW
subjects Of the first two years are hlsher
ALGEBRA and geometry. dfferenual ana
/ Integral calculus. cinematics. astrono-
/ my and pvnomorics The course or the
| last two years includes geology. eeodesy'
( civil engineering artillery applied mo
/ cbanics phvsics. and chemistry. pnoio-
rraphv. architecture. riding. ana me IN
I spection Of arsenals. hattle-hclds, ETC.
The annual expenses OF attendance are
/ 500 francs for board. SO francs for outhL
ana % francs for incidentals. which are
paid by parents or relatives Of scholars.
SCHOOLS or ITALY.
The military schools OF Italy arc d.
vided into three classes-the military pre-
roratorv schools at Rome and Naples,
| raining schools for officers and nOn-com-
missioned officers at UrCena, Turin, ana
| FLORENCE. and three military schools or
/ opplication proper-thc war school ana
| school OF artillery and engineering NJ
| Turin. and the school Of cavalry at ~
/ nerola There are also schools Tor aItl-
| lery and musket practice, fencing ana
| batteries. and platoons OF instruction LOT
non-commissioned officers OF these
| schools two may be selected as the pest
/ types-the military school at Urdena ana
| the Military Academy Of Turin.
The school Of Ur1ena trains oticers
for the infantry and cavalry and for the
| commissariat corps of the Royal army.
The course is two years, and graduates
] are commissioned second lieutenants or
| infantry, cavalry or the commlssaiiat'
| as fast as vacancies occur.
italian citizens from 16 TO 20 years or age
/ and soldiers with the colors on unlimit-
ed leave. are eligible to take the prepare
tory examination. which covers the
| Italian language and literature. ancient
| Greek and Roman, and modern Italian
! history. geography. the elements OF me-
chanics. electricity, arithmetic, ele-
mentary algebra entire, plane and sold
! geometry. plane trigonometry. and the
French language. A general average OF
y is demanded for admission.
The military academy at Turin edu-
Gates boys for the position Of officers in
the artillery and engineering corps. The
course is three years at the conclusion
/ of which comes the appointment as Sc
/ cond Lieutenant with seniority, deter
| mined by the standing OF the student IN
his class. The requirements for admis-
| sion. as regards nationality and age, are
the same as at the Urdena school, and
! the examinations are similar, but more
| exhaustive i'm mathematical subjects. The
| tuition is also the same. The course OF
| instruction bears a close resemblance TO
| that at Urdena. Indeed, the idea Of
| complete consolidation of the two schools
IS seriously entertained.
THE AUSTRIAN ACADEMIES.
The Austrian military schools are the
Theresa Military Academy Of Wiener
Neustadt and the Technical Military
| Academy. Of Vienna. These are fed
chiefly from the "realschulen," or techni-
cal public schools peculiar 10 Austria and
| Germany though any candidate proper
! " prepared is received. The real
school" takes boys at about the age OF 10.
and instructs them through course
seven years long in religion, their native
language, French, geography, history,
natural history and sciences, arithmetic,
algebra, geometry. drawing, caligraphy,
target practice. drills, and exercises in
| held-service, gymnastics, and general
athletics. The instruction in these
schools is extremely thorough and they
prepare also for the "cadet-ten-schulen,'
which, In Germany. are the only type Of
military schools existing.
Graduates Of cadet schools do not enter
the army as officers, but are assigned TO
corps and regiments as cadets with the
actual or honorary positions Of non-com-
missioned officers. As vacancies occur
they are appointed cadet officers substi-