New-York tribune., 1910-03-20
The Military Arm
Prize Winning Officers Advice
for Its .betterment.

For more than. 2 score Of years the Mill
tary, Service Institution Of the United
States. AZ organization made UP Of officers
- tie. regular, ARM. the state militia ard
the nayN. has been Offering two annual
prizes for .es says on subjects OF particular
interest to these services. These are pub
, liSEed n the bi-mOuthiy Journal Of the in
stitution. a publication which antedates any
other American military service organ OF
a simil3r technical nature. The first prize
is gold medal. carrying with Il life men,
bership IN he Institution and SOD In cash
The second is silver Theds. and $50 IN
ncney.
F'oi.oNmg the aim % the organization.
the DetleTment Of the various arms OF
the service. the subitct chosen for this
years prize was What Military Training
Should BE Required in Educational Insti-
tutiOns Of Al Grades and What Legal EX-
actions Of Military Service on tic Part Os
the Government Are Wise and Compatible
with Our Institutions
The first prize was won by Lieutenant
James j. Mayes. 24th Infantry. l.. S. A.,
a. negro regiment. and the second BY Cap
tain Ralph MeCOy. 5th Infantry. l.. s. 4.
The essays on this subject were paTticu-
larly good tins year. and an honorable men
tiou was awarded 10 Major WilmOt T..
Ellis. L. S. A., coast artillery corps. Fhe
results OF the contest are considered 80
valuable that tile last number Of the jour
nal. containing the essays. is being sent TO
educatt rs In different parts OF the country.
and il j. expected that a meeting OF nlili-
tary men and educators will be held in this
city in the latter part Of April TO discuss
the subject.
''The Ideal Ter defence I'm any state" says
Lieutenant Mayes in his essay, lis. OF
course. q standing army. ready for immedi-
ate service and Of sufficient strength 70
repeal any invasion On defeat any attack
made on the national institution.
The standing army Of tine United states
is far too small 10 meet the nee'is OF the
country. II is not large enough tc fOEm
nucleus for the organization of any con-
siderable body Of volunteer troop nor is il
so organized that il is eapable'of being ex-
pandcd into a much larger force.
with the necessity UTOn MS of depending
upon men in civil pursuits for armies in
future wars. We are under obligation 20 de
velop a military spirit among those men
from whom We must draw and To inIpaTt ,as
much military knowledge 20 as Iiany OF
them as we can. There VIII IN al pToba-
I
~ the regular army, 80 that il will he
more powerful and more capable u eNDan-
sion. but we will, not get sufficient in
crease I'm numbers or effisiency ~ decrease
in any appTecisble degree the necessity for
develOping ready material outside ths. army.
81 propose that the study of military
science be- reserved for schools Of college
and university grade. and that the training
4 - h.. a..
discipline ?hyslcal drill. hygiene and sani-
tatiOn. camping and sub-calibre target prac-
tice This will give the boys SOM hing 20
+ look forward 20 and up 10 In military lines
and will enable us % concentrate zeal mill
tary work upon students whose minds are
well enough developed 20 grasp H"
Captain NcCOy elabc-a.-s Up0n the APP
plicatlon Of Efficient military training 10
thu work Of schools and colleges nnd pro-
poses national reserve 90 supplement- the
Tegular army and national guard organi-
/ EatiOns "Of the large number OF Enlisted
men honorably discharged each wear from
4 fhe regular army and national guard. now
+ lost 20 the service" he says. IL Is believed
/ that a sufficient number could be Induced %
Ie-enlst in the reserve corps - fOrm at
least a nucleus Of well trained mon fOr each
suth0TiZed company. 70 this number would
b. added many men who have received az
+ beast rudimeEtary training az "ur schools
and colleges or IN Independent military ar-
i ganizatloE9 EnlistInents would Ce foI
| three years.
Major Ellis believes that Ian obligation
% serve Ia the military forces Of TIE nation
I IN event Of war should De laid uuOn an
I physically qualified graduates % iate edu-
catlOnal institutions (aided hy the federal
government until such graduates shall
have passed the age OF thiFty-hve years
and each should be- required % slsn a decla.
/ ration 70 that eject"