Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-01-07
no IMPROVEMENT

ties"
no IMPROVEMENT
"But tina Akers- Douglas report waa
made more than two years ago Surely
things have been improved since then"
I suggested.
They have not improved a bit, said
Or Mcguire deolsiyely, In some re-
apecta they are even worse than they
were then. II anything could be moro
humilIntlng than that exposure or the
oOntemptible inefficient training and
gross Ignorance OF many Of our mill
tary officers II is the fact that, although
moro than two years have since elapsed
nothing has been done to remedy tho
defects pointed out.
IN an address at the Woolwich Roy
MI Military academy though
much inferior to West Point, Ia consid-
erably ahead Of the sandhurst instltu-
delivered year after that report
had been published, Lord Roberts
complained that the examinations
showed that the candidates we're
strangely deficient IN spelling knoW-
ledge on the English language and map
reading. 10 properly appreciate tho
eignlfoanco Of this ccnsuro ~ must be
understood that Lord Roberts was od.
dressing young gentlemen who had
ceased 70 be cadets, and having passed
the entrance competitive examinations
were about TO Join the commissioned
ranks OF the British army. IL would
be utterly impossible that such words
could ever be spoken OF West Point
graduates, For such gross Ignorance or
rudlmentary branches OF learning they
would have been dismissed long before
their final examinations were reached.
II was stated IN a leading Journal re-
Gently that I'm general education ana CO.
paclty board school boys are far super
ior 10 the average Eton, Harrow ana
fashionable school boys. II the lalter
schools be not speedily reformed or
abolished the richer classes OF England
viii soon be decadenL
I'VE have grofted nothing 10y the nu-
mepous 'regrettable Incidents OF tne
poer war that were 90 largely due to
the Incapaclty OF commanding officers
only a few days ago Gen Hutchinson
,saued IA report on the examination for
promotion of officers IN the regular
army which reveals state Of ignor-
euco among many Of the candidates
that can only be characterized as dlh-
graceful. General Hutchinson states
that bad spelling and inability to eX-
presa themselves clearly were the tal-
,nes Of "A large number OF them Many
Of them showed that they were uhht
for the duty Of lnstructlng non-cQnnns-
stoned officers and men owing 10 be-
ing themselves lnsufliciently instructed,
The general deplores the fact thai the
neglect 10 keep their military knoWl-
edge up to date by reading ana slulS
as men IN other professions have TO 40
un describes the results OF tne eAahl-
inhtlons In military engineering. tac-
ties and topography as INDIFFERENT Ho
candidates generally failing To apple-
ciate the situations In the proneUs
plven them 10 solve. the majority OF
them Ignoring the enemy OF s'NNt "''n
credit for little intelligence
IGNORANCE or BRITISH oFFI-
GERS.
~ is appalling TO reflect what dlsas-
ters such ncompetency as ~ here
shown would lead us into II we were
engaged I'm war with 1rst class |
,,over---rylth Russia for instance, Tor |
the possession OF india
"If Hhould be borne IN mind that me |
shortcomings to which Gen, Hutchin-
son calls attention indicate not mere
Iy defective military training, but im- |
perfect elementary education me re-
mort therefore constitutes quite as i
much an Indictment OF our SVEN public |
schools Eton, Harrow Rugby ana |
such places where the classes from |
whom our officers are drawn ave chief-
ly educated--as OF the Instructions |
where they receive their professional
training.
owing 20 the shortage OF officers
caused by the casualties OF tho boet
war. many young gentlemen grauuu-
ntes most OF them Of these public |
scbools-received commissions With |
out passlng the usual examinations. In |
India large numbers Of them, accord |
ing 10 an official report were found TO |
be so wanting in elementary eduon- |
tion' as TO be incapable OF receiving the |
ordinary garrison instruction, Many |
OF them. therefore, had TO have re- |
course TO the rcgimental schoulm0sters |
10 remedy the defects Of expensive |
educations which had LEFT them iguor- |
nut of the simple branches Of learning
mat are obligatory I'm the higher grade |
classeg OF the board schools as wa |
term our free schools. Surely NO more |
humulatlng report was ever Issued |
about the officers OF an army
NAPOLEON oppriscd the relative val- |
NE OF brain power and physical power |
I'm warfare at three TO one, Iaking M
90 account the enormous strides mat
have since been made In the Appilca-
ton OF science 10 war Lord Roberts
now estimates II az ten TO one. Ana
vet we continue to bestow commissions
I'm tho army ON mon who are not only
Ignorant OF all scientific knowledge but
likewise Of the very rudlmcnts OF an
ordinary education. The olncer class
is not To blame, II has clamoyed for
general and technical education for the
mast 10 years. but social influences and
false economy are against any reform
WORST SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD
THE truth IL, our fashionable Eng
llsh public schools are about tho worst
IN the world. Useful studies are neg
lected for Latin and Greek and even
these are ill taught The schools arc
hohtbeds OF snobbpry They Nudle no
desire for an intellectual me- Games
alone are pursued with enthusiasm.
Their ordinary products are thc most
ignorant and uniutercstlng men OF 500
cinl position from Toxic TO budapest
ana thence To san Francisco, Com
pared with the graduates NJ American
colleges ana universities they are sim
ply not in g."
'But how about that famous saying
NJ WeuiuBton's We hear quoted so Of,
ten The battle OF Waterloo was won
on the playing fields VI Eton|"
81 am certain chat Wellington never
said IT, answered the doctor Tor he
was truthful man, and NO man could
have known better the utter falslty OF
90 Tar IN