Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-04
NOT MANY IN LINE
High School Cadet Regiment
Short of Officers.
FEW TAKE EXAMINATION
Reforms in the Organization Con-
templated by Authorities.
UNIFORM RULES ARE SOUGHT
Regulations Issued Governing the
Enlistments and Preparatory Drills.
Twelve Companies Probable.

several reforms will be made in the ca
Oct organization of the high schools of !
this city this year. in an effort at stand !
ardfzation. The appointing of officers VINO |
will graduate in the middle of the year !
will be among some of the matters which !
Ernest L. Thurston, assistant superin- |
tendent OF schools, who has the cadets
directly in charge, will consider. Cadet |
rules, which have varied in several high |
schools. will be made uniform. Consider |
able trouble has been experienced in the
past because of this lack of unity.
Temporary organization Of the cadet
regiment will take place next Monday
afternoon. The newly enlisted men. as
well as the experienced cadets. will be
placed by the principals Of the several
schools under the Instruction OF boys who
have good cadet records. Regimental and
company officers probably will be an
nounced the latter part of the week.
Plans for measuring the young soldiers
for uniforms are being completed by Mr.
Thurston. and this work also PROBABLY
will be done next week
Examinations for company officers In
tie white high schools will be held late
this afternoon in the Franklin school
building. headquarters of the board OF
education. The regimental examination
vas held Wednesday. Examinations for
coiored cadets were held last Friday and
Tuesday. These examinations in late
years have been held at the Central High
changed.
Lack of Material.
But few boys appeared to take the ex-
aminations for regimental positions. The
number is SO small, in fact, that If all the
boys succeed in passing it there will not
he enough to fill the regimental offices.
Asst. Supt. Thurston is planning means
by which this deficiency may be met
The reason for the small number of boys
taking this examination is believed to be
because most of the boys would rather
hold company commissions than regi-
mental offices. although the positions are
not as high.
IL every boy in the high schools should
Join the cadets the organization would
rapidly expand into a brigade instead of
a regiment. Twelve companies. the same
number as last year. are expected to COM
prise the regiment this year. Each COM
pany must contain at least five squads
OF seven men and a corporal well as
the commissioned officers and file cIosers.
Some of the companies have as high as
eight squads.
The average company contains only six
squads, however, or total Of ffty-six
men. At this rate Mckinley Manual
Training School alone, with it's present en-
roliment of go boys would have as many
companies as all the white high schools
now muster.
In other Schools.
Business High School. with its go boys.
would have seyen companies: Central
High School. with its :sW boys, would have
nearly seven companies; Eastern High
School. with 1874 boys. would have two
companies, and Western High School,
with o4S boys. would have four COM
panies
This would be total of nearly thirty
two companies. not including enough
boys left over to fill staff offerShips.
Congress presumes that every boy en-
tering the high schools shall enter the
cadets if he Is physically capable of per-
forming cadet duty. restraining clause
in the act relating to this. however, states
that boys may excused from cadet
duty a written request from their
parents. The school officials are bound.
therefore, to excuse the boys from cadet
service il the parents request it, no mat
ter what excuse Is given.