Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-17
CANNOT COMPLY.

Secretary Lamont Unable to Detail
mn Officer to the Reform School.
Secretary Lamont has decided, after a
thorough consideration of the question,
that there is no provision of law which
would authorize him to comply with the
request of the District Commissioners for
the detail of an officer of the army. ac-
tive or retired, to the reform school of
the District for the purpose of imparting
military instruction to the inmates The
law under which officers of the army or
navy may be detailed to duty at educa-
tonal institutions Is contained in section
12..5 of the Revised Statutes as amended
by acts approved September 26. 1888 Janu-
| airy IL, 1891, and November g. 1883 Taken
together this legislation provides that The
President may upon the applica ton of
any established military institute seminary
or academy. college or university within
the United States, having capacity to edu-
cate at the same time not less than $50
male students detail an officer of the army
or navy to act as superintendent or pro-
fessor thereof The number of officers
which may be SO detailed is limited to 10,
and it is provided such officers shall re-
ceive the full pay of their rank. 1t is also
provided that mo officer shall be detailed
to or maintained at any Of the educa-
/ tional institutions mentioned in said act
where instruction and drill in military tao
ties is not given" Another provision of the
original act Is that officers SO detailed
shall be apportioned throughout the
! United States. first. to those state insti-
tutons applying for such detail that are
required to provide instruction in mill
tary tactics under the provisions of the
act of Congress of July 2 1862, donating
lands for the establishment of colleges
where the leadingt object shall be the prac-
ttcal instruction rtof the industrial classes
in agriculture and the mechanic arts in
Guiding military tactics. and after that
said details to be distributed. as nearly
as may be practicable. according to popu-
lation.
In acting adversely upon the applica-
| ton of the District Commissioners the War
| Department authorities took the ground
| that the District. reform school was not
an educational institution of the kind or
character mentioned in the law governing
| the detail of, officers of the army or navy
Precisely the same stand had been pre-
viously taken in the case of similar appli-
| cations on the part of several reforma-
| tory Institutions in other parts of the
In his consideration of the question: Gen.
Miles made the suggestion that as there
appeared to be lack of authority for the
i detail of an officer of the army or navy
| to the District reform school 1t might be
advisable for the local authorities to en-
| gage the services of some non-commission-
| ed officer, thoroughly conversant with mill
| tary drill and tactics, who Is no longer con-
| nected with the military establishment
| Gen. Miles considers a course of military
| instruction an excellent thing for the boys
| at the reform school and says that the
| sired training in the way he suggested, pro-
| vided there Il no legal objection to the
! employment of the proposed military In
structor.