The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-10
Military Tactics in the Public
Schools.
AN ARMY OF TEN MILLION
Very Little OF the Right Kind of Work
Is Now Being Done in the Public
Schools--1t Means More
Law and Order.


President. Daniel G. Butterfield of New
York; vice presidents, Gen. HI. F.
Chanse of Michigan, Colonel Deer of
Rhode Island and Gen. John c. Under
wood Of Kentucky. A number of reso-
buttons pertaining to some action by
congress to provide for clothing and
developing state militia and naval re-
serves were referred to the committee
on resolutions. DR.. MaCracken, chan
cellor Of the New York university, de-
1ievered an address on militia action in
the public schools as follows:
In the Schools.
Answering the question. What Does
America Say as to Instructing the Boys
Of America in Military Tactics?"
Chancellor MacCracken said he came
to- the discussion free from pre-judg-
ment The one object of the conven-
results as should be best for the boys
of America and therefore best for the
homes Of America, and, through
America. best for the world.
The schools of America are magnific-
emit in extent. They are a possible pa
rade ground for an army of ten millions
Of boys. The last report of the nation
makes the boys between 5 and IS years
Of age 1854, 1892. This gives us over
100000 boys every year passing the 10
year limit and becoming men. Soon we
shall have a million youth added every
year to the manhood roll of the United
States Of America.
lIf military drill were confined to
those only from IA to IS years Of age,
we should have an army Of 5000, 900
in, I'LL iS
at least the 100000 of boys from IA to
10 years of age have the opportunity Of
learning a little something of the rules
ana exercises that make men soldiers?
In addition to these there are the
older and larger boys, nearly a quarter
Of a million in number, a larger number
Z than the total force called out by the
president for service the last year.
Marshalling the two together, remem-
bsring that in the ordinary regiment
there is one commissioned officer for
every 20 men, and we should not have
from all the night schools of the coun-
try enough young fellows to organize
one-half the boys that ought to be in
the common schools. Take the boys
that actually are in the common
schools, which the chancellor placed at
about seven millions, and If one-half of
them take military drill, being three
and one-half millions, there are enough
high school boys to allow one commits
stoned officer for every 20. In other
words, 100000 boy officers for 100000
boy soldiers. Shall we drill them all?
Shall we drill any of them? Shall we
drill only the high school boys? These
he said are the questions Of the hour.
s@1 Conclusions.
Mr.. MacCracken then gave statistics
Of the work being done in high schools
nd a nf
deducting therefrom the following con
clusions:
First-It is not a question of sections
Of the country as to where military in
struction is given and where 1t is omit
ted 1t is, however, question of
states. The states that are highest as
to giving military instruction in public
high schools are Massachusetts and
South Carolina.
Second-EVen In a given state there
may be superior attention given to mill
itary tactics In public high schools, and
comparative neglect Of the same on the
private high schools and academies
close by. This is seen strikingly in
Massachusetts,. The opposite also is
equally manifest that state may excel
like Pennsylvania or Virginia in the
proportion Of her academies and high
schools that instruct in military mat
ters, and yet her public schools be far
behind in the same subject
He then added that although he had
said that 1t was question of states as
to the conditions of instruction in mill
tary tactics, that it seemed also to have
been in at least some of the states re-
ferred to a question of one or two men
that had convictions on this subject,
taking the lead In introducing and en-
phasizing this particular side of edu-
cation. He cited the history of its in
PRODUCTION into the high schools of Mas
sachusetts as given in the national
commissioners reports of half dozen
years ago as abundant proof Of this.
Passing down and out from the high
schools to the grammar schools, Mr..
MacCracken said that statistics are al
most utterly wanting. Three cities only
in the United States. he said, make
military instruction obligatory In the
grammar schools-Newport, KY, Col
orado City, Col, and Butte City, Mont,
two of which are small cities in the
Rocky mountain region, and the third
is practically suburb of Cincinnati.
Obligatory military instruction in
grammar schools may be said hardly
to exist. Four or five cities authorize
voluntary instruction in military drill,
namely, New York City, Geneva, N.
Y, Yonkers. N. Y, Rochester, N. Y,
and Winona, MINI.
An Example.
He said that New York City fairly
served for an example of voluntary in
struction, Boys were there offered the
chance to take military drill If they
and their parents choose, and if they
were willing to foot the bills. He then
gave the history of it's introduction in
New York City, and said that in 30
per cent. of the grammar schools in the
city the drill inaugurated in 1894 was
ephemeral for the very evident reason
the whole burden of the effort was
placed upon parents and teachers, the
parents to contribute uniforms and
equipment, and the teachers to contri-
butte their time and trouble.
Summing up the extent of the mill
tary drill in the grammar or common
schools of the country. he concluded
that out of an army of seven million
boys enrolled in the grammar schools,
not one in a thousand has any oppor-
tunity of instruction in military tao
tics. and not half dozen communi-