The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-13
CITY NEWS.
ARMY OFFICERS
HAVE TO STUDY
WORK IN THE FORT SMELLING
SCHOOL Is NO SNAP.
Commissioned Officers, Up to the
Rank of Captain, Who Have Not
Served Ten Years, Are Expected to
Take the Full Two Years Course.

After a man has won his shoulder
straps in the United States army he
has to begin going to school all over
again.
But the officers school, of which
the one at Smelling is fairly repre-
sentative, is far from being the easy,
happy life of the schoolboy. The ses-
sion lasts from Nov. / to April 80,
with recitations daily from 10 a. m.
to IL noon, and with at least three
hours study necessary each day-al
this in addition to the regular duties
of each officer.
During recitations, the classes are
compelled to give strictest attention.,
and each officer, when reciting, stands
at attention" When, at the end of
the year, some unfortunate officer has
found, perhaps, just one subject too
hard for him to gain the called-for
passing mark, it is not a case, as with
the schoolboy or college man, OF
studying during the long summer
months and making up; but the
soldier is required to begin the whole
course all over the following year;
and, in addition, has demerit placed
on his deficiency report This re-
port goes thru the hands of series
of his superior officers finally wend-
ing it's way to Washington after hay
ing been inscribed on the post rec
ords.
Perhaps some time after, this I'M
fortunate officer is looking for ad-
vancement, or some desirable detall.
His request for such favor goes thru
the hands Of his superior officers, who
each in turn refer back to this eff
cheney report" There it is shown
that the man in question was COM
PEELED to take his course in ofhcers'
school over again one year He IS
accordingly turned down on the
ground that he has either been negf-
gent in his studies or lacking In abll-
ity-and in either event some other
man gets the plum.
Generally speaking, all first and
second lieutenants, and captains who
have not served ten years, are COM
PEELED to attend the school, The
course lasts thru two years. The fac
ulty consists of the superior officers
from the senior captains as the low
est rank from whom instructors and
lecturers are chosen, to the highest
officers at the post. At Fort Smell
ing the faculty consists Of ten mem
bers, all Of them captains.
Thoro Work Required.
According to the official order from
Washington establishing the officers
school at Fort Smelling, "thoroness
shall be the guiding principle in this
Instruction." And while each officer
is studying the theory Of some GER
tain military routine or duty, when
possible he is assigned to such duty
at the post. So practice and theory
are made to go hand in hand. Thus
each officer becomes thorOly CONVEX
SAINT with the duties of post and camp
administration, and in turn serves as
quartermaster, commissary. officer,
member Of staff, etc.
twn CI0 heinR
always conducted during the school
year, the first and the second year
men. And more trouble seems to be
ahead for the men who have COM
pleted the prescribed course, thru a
series Of postgraduate studies, which
rumor says are now being outlined by
the military authorities at Washing
ton.
A new feature of the officers
school will be introduced at Fort
Smelling the coming school year. Ac-
cording to an order just issued from
Washington, ten officers of the Mime
sofa portion of the national guard
are to be detailed by the state ad-
jutant to attend the Smelling school
These ten will be regularly assigned
to post quarters and will be consid-
cred as in the government service,
While so engaged, they will be al
lowed 81 day each Communication
of rations.
The Course of Study.
The subjects ordered to be taken
up as the first years course at Fort
Smelling school are for the first
period infantry drill regulations
guard manual, minor. tactics, military
topography and sketching; for the
second period administration, fielC
engineering, small arms firing regula-
tons; third period, military law
hippology, international law; fourth
plication in construction of models II
clay and sand (feld engineering)
military topography and sketching
hippology, drill exercises, and prob
lens in minor tactics during drill
season
The periods" referred to are di
vided as follows: First period, from
Nov. to Dec. %; second period, Jan
to Feb. 10; third period, March
to April 1; fourth period, to April 80
subjects are as follows: First period
military. law completed militar.
topography and sketching, minor tao
tics and field engineering; secont
period, completion of minor tactics
completion of field engineering, in
ternational law, hippology; thirt
period, completion of internationa
law, completion Of hippology, genera
review of the manual of guard duty
troops In campaign, general review o
administration, general review Of In
fantry drill regulations, and genera
review Of small arms firing regula
tions. There is no fourth period We
prepared for the second year.