New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
SOLDERING AT YALE.
Prize Drill of the Three Com panies
of UNDERGRADUATES.

the early winter. Plans are being made to turn
the drill into gala affair considerable num-
Der Of the undergraduate friends OF the student
cadets will be the Cd Regiment Armory TO lol-
low the proceedings and as there viii be an Of
fetal attendance from the United States Army the
Connecticut Militia and the Connecticut State Of
ncer. The one Sheffield Scientific School and the
two academic companies viii drill for prize nag
and there will also be Individual compeuuVe oFls
for gold and silver medals
Governor Abiram Chamberlain and AdJutant
General Cole. OF the Connecticut National duaro'
will be the chief official guests Of the competition.
Besides these State officials inspector general
and four ether United States Army officers Will
come from Washington. and will act in conjunction
with three field officers the I'd Regiment of New
Haven as a committee Of award and inspection on
the manouvres OF the Yale companies.
This will be the first official inspection and COM
petitiye drill ever held Yale, such companies as
We're organized several years ago by other army
officers stationed ct Yale having held an outdoor
field day only at the conclusion OF their seasons
drill. The ordinary company manGuvres Will be
gone through each company being judged to
the precision with which it performs the more
difficult movements. In the Individual competition
the manual Of and general knowledge of mill
tary movements will be the basis of the awards.
The winning individual soldiers viii have their
names sent to the United States headquarters at
Washington. and also to their home State adjutant
generals as q special mark OF honor. 1t was at
first intended 10 give a bronze medal TO the com
receiving the figheSt award out on tfe re-
quest Of the members Yale military flag was
substituted.
The enthusiasm with which the Yale undergrad
ustes have taken up soldering has surprised Cap
tain S. A Smoke. L. s. A, who took charge Of the
military instruction at Yale detail from the gov
eminent last fall. There are $50 undergrad
yates parading weekly IN the arTnory divided into
three companies. from the college and the
third from the Scientific School. So many men
have taken to the drills that there have not been
"a saec 80 O11r1d
has had to drill at a time. battalion moneuvres
being postponed until next year when better pro-
vision will be arranged for. One of the companies,
Company B, from the senior class Of the academic
department, has adopted uniform OF blue flannel
shirts. khaki trousers, brown leggins and campaign
hats. Next year it is proposed TO uniform all Of
the four Yale companies then TO be organized.
The interest at Yale in military study is account
ed for through the general interest taken through
the country in the army man9uyres in the
Philippines. the late and the calling out of
the various State militia regiments strike duty
Within few months the Rhode Island regiments
were out protect the streets of Providence from
mob violence the trolley strike in that city; the
New-Haven and Hartford companies spent two
weeks IN Waterbury. queing the riots in that city
from the lawlessness Of the striking trolley men,
and in Pennsylvania the troops guarded the mining
properties. As many Yale undergraduates join
their home military regiments in the various States
after leaving college. their interest in studying
military organization at this time is easily under
standa bic. Captain Smoke has made it special
point he said to-day. 10 give the Yale students
rndersta nding of broad military questions in con-
rection with their drills. has lectured this win
ter to the senior in both undergraduate de-
partments the American military problem, mod
ern war field and map strategy and campaign
ing of battle and grand tactics, the art Of
war, of cavalry and infantry and the Russo
Turkish War.
Captain Smoke himself has been thoroughly
drilled in war tactics having been graduated from
West Point in 1887, serving at various Western
forts going through the Spanish War the staff
OF General John c. Bates a chief quartermaster
OF the Department Of Santa Clara, and then acting
as military instructor in Texas Missouri and Ne
braska before being detailed to Yale.
a use which the Yale soldiers will put their
recently acquired knowledge of military tactics
Will be in the stunt which is 'in the works
for the celebration Of Dewey Day. Last year the
day was celebrated in such manner to nearly
result in the dropping Of several We'll known men
from college This year a novel and entirely unique
celebration will be in order. which will not, it is
pected. bring down the participants the wrath
of the faculty. 1t is proposed on Dewey Day TO
line up the two academic military companies as
United States and Filipino soldiers, and TO have
them engage in sham battle over the possession
of a Filipino cart. The rules Of war will pre-
veil in this enga cement. and rush rough
hoIse" Will be permitted, the company winning the
cart winning only by legitimate military
nouvres. As this battle will probable take place
the campus before most Of the college, at
tractive spectacle in Yale campus stunts" is TO
be expected.
Military drill has been tried off and on at Yale
for number Of years the United States Army
having sent four details the university since
1898 The first incumbent Lieutenant c A. L.
Totten, the well known chr0nologist, who resigned
prosecute private studies in Biblical chronology.
Following him was Captain James Petit.
commanding field officer I'm the Philippines and
after Captain Petit Major D. a. Thompson
pied the chair for years. Since 1897. however,
vrgfr instr llnfor at
Yale. so that the arrival of Captain Samuel A.
Smoke, L S A. last fall was a welcome 10
the undergraduates.
Captain Smoke at once, in addition to his lectures
on military topics began the formation Of military
companies among the undergraduates. The re-
spcnse was immediate and even enthusiastic. Sew
eral companies have now been formed in the
process OF forming from the academic and scientific
departments oflcered by their own members, who
have first passed examination in the fundamen-
tails Of military maneuvres and who have then
been elected by the company members. George A.
wsshfngto of Wessyngton, Tenn. is the COM
manding officer Of the senior academic company.
II is Captain Smokes idea 10 organize a number
OF companies from the various Yale classes drill
them in the manual Of arms and company and bat
TALON tactics. and the end Of the college year
hold q competitive drill. r prize flag going to the
winning company. At the end OF the year a compe-
tition viii be held among the men on their knowl-
edge Of military questions. and the three or four
leading students Will be TO the United States
Army chief Offices and 10 the Offices Of the adju-
tant generals OF the various States.
In spite OF the novelty Of this particular branch
OF Undergraduate activity, the students who have
gone in military dr1l have mastered the rud-
uenJs in astonishngly short time. With q few
weeks occasional drills they marching around
the armory with comparative military precision
OF the manual OF arms a great many Of the stu
dents had had previous knowledge through attend
at military preparatory schools and the few
raw recruits were taught the intricacies OF the