Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-22
MILITARY instruction
Iowa Colleges Awaiting the De-
liberations of the Newly
Organized War Board
REGULATIONS ARE TOO DRASTIC
The &C s of Military Tactics Prom
uIga : or Those Institutions Where
Arr Ulcers are Stationed to Give
Ins 8 ion, if Strictly Adhered to,
W s Drive Away Students.
to Times-Republican.

military instruction for Iowa boys by
regular army officers is awaiting de-
alterations of the newly organized war
board and there are those who are hop
ing that the war department red tape
will be the means of holding up action
for long time on this question. There
are three colleges in Iowa where re-
tired army officers have been detailed
to give instruction, and as such in
structors of course receive full pay of
the rank of their retirement, namely:
Burnett in charge, State Normal school
with Major j. A. Olmsted in charge, and
Simpson college with Capt. d Robinson
in charge. A little over year ago. ap-
parently on his own motion, Secretary
of War Root, promulgated course of
military tactics for all colleges where
army officers are stationed. The regu-
!ations were so drastic that it appeared
they were intended to suppress all such
military instruction. Many Of the col
leges found they would not care to
follow Secretary Roots orders at all
Some of them notified the war depart
ment that no effort would be made to
COMPLY. There are about eighty five
colleges where army officers are giving
instructions. Only few are in posi-
tIon to comply fully with the require
ments. The state university is prob
ably the only one in Iowa that could
comply fully. President Seerley of the
State Normal school, and Major Ohm
sted both notified the department that
they could not live up to their require
ments for to do so would be to force
the young men out of school They
would continue the military instruc-
ton, but not to the extent required by
the war department. The normal
school could not with propriety be
turned into military college. Major
Olmsted has returned from spending
the summer in Illinois.
when went away from Cedar Falls
last spring" he said. II fully expected
that 1 would be relieved by the war
department in few weeks. In making
my final report l stated that we We're
not making any attempt to comply with
the war department regulations and
stated why we could not do so. OF
course there was nothing left but for
the department to relieve me from
that assignment. All have since found
out about it is that the matter was
hung up pending the organization of
the general staff. and this board was
not organized until few days ago.
Whenever that board gets around to
it I suppose it will act IN accordance
with the regulations or else modify
them. But no matter what is done,
the military work at the state normal
will go on. 1t is too valuable to be
dropped. l shall return to take up the
work again the first of next month.
The work is valuable to the young
men, but cannot say that the govern |!
ment gets much out of it. In fact,
think the war department would as
soon as not that many of the colleges
would drop the work and that the army
,fficars detailed to the work should be
assigned to other duty. I notice that
he tendency lately has been to place
his instruction in the hands of active
instead of retired officers. The las
list showed that about thirty of the re-
ired officers have been relieved from
his duty and active young men given
heir places. The theory is that the re-
ired officers are not Jealous in the
work. and look upon 1t as sort OF NIL
ng-in time without any real purpose.
rhe war department prefers that II the
york is done at all, it shall be by young
fficers."
In Des Moines it is regarded as GER
ain that Major Olmsted will be as
igned by the general staff to repres
ent the regular army in the matter of
Inspection of the national guard, bus
is regarded as probable that his as
ignment to this position will not come
bout before the first of next year.
-
A. C. Hutchins, superintendent of the
machinery exhibit for the Iowa COM
mission on the Louisiana Purchase eX-
,osition has just returned from tour
f rhe state in the interest of the eX-
ibit. His work consists in going from {
ity to city for personal conferences /
With the manufacturers to induce them /
0 take a personal interest in the eN- t
ibition and TO agree to have Iowa rep !
esented. He has visited Marshalltown' {
Waterloo Ottumwa, Abba, [
irinnell CeIdT INdpluS, SSdsti !
'alls, Oskaloosa Fort Dodse j
ELLA, and other cities, and feels e
realty encouraged. Il feel that we g
ave made great progress, said MIR.
Iutchins on his return, and that there
an no longer be any doubt that the
)wa manufacturers will take hold of
ne project and see to it that Iowa is
fven her rightful place at the st. Louis S
xpostion as one of the growing and
rogressive manufacturing states of the e
,iddle region. In every city have re- t
eived encouragement. My work has +
II been preliminary and of course do f
ct expect that the manufacturers will c
ay offhand and at this time what they S
Ill do, but everywhere they recognize c
t once the opportunity we have before I
S and the necessity for making an ex- !
ibit at ST. Louis. AT Ottumwa, for in 2
.ance, manufacturers are already Ger &
lin they want 5000 feet of space anl $
lose who will be represented are fl
mong the very best manufacturers inl il