The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-04
EDUCATION IN THE ARMY.


 How Uncle Sam keeps the officers and men in his army up to the top notch of efficiency is told in a spe- in the American Army in the an- nual report of the Commissioner of Education just issued. The state rlent was prepared by Capt. Douglas Macarthur and approved by General Leonard Wood.
 |No country in the world has as complete 8 system of professional scholastic training for it's ofIicers as the United States" declares Capt. MacArthur. sThfs is due to the in- herent difference between the nnilt- tary establishments of foreign nations and that of our own. Their armies are at all times kept upon a war foot ing, as a result of which they have ample opportunity for the perfect training of the personnel in the prac- teal duties of the military profession.
 s'In such an army, the main ob- jeot is to train every man For the ef- dctent performance of his duties in the grade which he holds when war comes. A lieutenant does not dream of becoming a captain merely as the result of war except as a vacancy is made for him in the casaua1t1es of battle. Only in the same way does a captain expect to become a scoIone1s nor would the idea be tolerated that great numbers of trained line officers are to be suddenly transferred to va- rfors staff positions
 s'Thetr organizations are founded upon the theory that there is noth- ing mysterious in the art of wars that technical and scientific training Is needed by only a small portion Of military officers; that certain things officer must know and can as read 1 fly acquire as he; while those things
 which differentiate a Napoleon from other generals can not be acquired in
 any school. not even in that of war. 'sSuch system would be thorough ly unsound if transp1auted to the
 American army, the organization of ! which Is quite different from conti-
 mental armies. In fact, the most
 striking feature in our service is the l absence of what constitutes the very
 essence of the foreign establish
 ments; that is, a. great standing army l-serving in corps. divisions, and bri-
 gades. In which the average officer of any grade learns the details of his profession by practical work and with the minimum Of theory.
 Our system of military education 1 must therefore differ from that Of the other great nations of the world.
 It must be such as to educate our of- I hcers so that they will be able at a moments notice, when the war ex-
 p&nsion comes. to perform the duties of far-advanced grades and to render l line and staff, in which they are not
 commissioned in time of peace. For
 this reason we have established a pro- 1 gressive system of schools designed
 to teach officers and men. limited only I by their individual capacities, for it's assimilation. the duty of the man-at-
 arms in- all grades from lowest to highest.
 .sThe military educational system of the United States comprises: The l the education Of cadets; post schools I for the instruction of enlisted men i; l garrison schools for the instruction of | officers in subjects pertaining to the l performance of their ordinary duties; l the Army Service Schools at Fort l Leavenwortt, Kansas, including the I Army School of the Line, the Army l stan College. the Army. Signal School. I the Army Field Engineer School, the
 Army Field Service ana Correspon-
 dence School for medical offlcerss the 1 Special Service Schools, consisting of I the Engineer School, Washington
 Barracks, DC: the Coast Artillery | School, Fort Monroe. Va: the Mount I ed Service School, Fort Riley, Kans. 1; l the Army Medical School, Washing 1 ton, D. C.: the School Of Fire for
 Fseid Artillery, Fort Sill, Okla; the the Signal Corps Aviation School. San | Dtexo, Cal; the Schools Tor Bakers l and Cooks, Washington Barrackss D. l C.; and Pres1dto of San Franclscos Cal; the Training School for Saddlers
 and for Battery Mechanics of Field Artillery, Rock Island ArsenaI. H.: l the School of instruction for enlisted men of the regular army selected for detail for duty with the organized 1 militia, the Engineer Trade Schools; I the Army War College, Washington, 1 D. C.: the schools of Instruction for 1 college students, and the military de- l paxtrnents of civil institutions at | which officers of t1He army are detail- l cd under the provislons of law