Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-02-05
STUDENTS MILITARY CAMP
Capt. Reeves Tells Merchants
the Why and Wherefore of 1t.
Real Object Is to Help Place Nation
IN n state of Preparedness for
War--Dniiy Routine from July
8 TO August z.

| tinguishcd by an entertaining and in
structive talk on the Students Military
instruction camp by Captain Ira l..
| Reeves, military instructor at the Uni
| versity of Vermont
Captain Reeves said the object of tho
camp was IN tho line Of helping place
the nation In a state OF preparedness FOR
| war. by giving military training TO
properly selected civilians who would gain
n knowledge that would be Of great
assistance In offlcering soldiers should
occasion require tho mobiliZing OF an
army. Had there been properly trained
| officers at tho time OF the Civil War
| the conflict would undoubtedly have been
! much shorter. For tho students camp
the government has seen fit to select
! college men for military instruction as
they are likely to possess the physique
and ambition that is necessary. Students
from military schools are not given the
| preference by any means, and If the
war department were given the choice,
students from such institutions would be
| the last selected.
| The speaker, to dispel a popular notion
that the greatest loss of life during war
is on the field of battle. stated that
|
camp and on the march and the train
| ing, such the camp next summer will
| impart. is to give knowledge OF the life
! of the soldier. where most of the time
| in service is spent. rs battles are com
paratively rare Contrary to the popular
notion also. all the time in the students
| camp is not spent in drills. If only drill
ing were necessary. we could train men
| aLc To Htrh
| armies Of the world. 1t requires a year
at least to make a man a soldier. Drill
ing is necessary to mobilization, but
| there are many other things to be taken
| into consideration.
The students camp at Burlington will
open on july and will continue until
| August l. There will be four hours work
each day for the students, most of 1t in
the morning. They will have their after
moons off to enjoy themselves as they see
fit one reason why Burlington was Sc
lected for the camp was on account Of its
pleasing situation and the proximity or
the lake and historic environment, which
| will make 1t desirable for the students in
their leisure hours Another thing which
determined Captain Van Horn In recon-
mending the site here was the presence OF
|
men can he given proper instruction in
battle formations as most battles are
fought IN hilly country. The instruction
will include mounted drill sabre and fenc-
ing exercises and shooting on the rife
range at Fort Ethan Allen. instruction In
| aviation will also he feature and an
aeroplane will be brought here. The stu
dents will probably not he each taught
| l. ,,i,,
by which they will become acquainted
with the ma chinery of an aeropane, etc,
There is to be artillery drill, also. First
aid to the injured will be included in the
lessons, also how to establish proper
camp drainage and how to make sani-
tary camp. It is hoped that all the in
struction will have its proper economic
value apart from its lessons in the mill
tary art.
Captain Reeves's estimate of the num-
Der of students who will come here Is
1850, although Captain Van Horn has
placed the figures much in excess of that
Preparations have been made for a camp
of 1900
A large part Of the students are from
well-to-do families and it is expected
that many of their parents will come here
with them, which will help the hotels anc
merchants. As Burlington is the kind Of
city which, if once visited, is not soon for
} gotten, the people who are attracted by
the camp will undoubtedly come back an'
perhaps bring others with them.
Students eligible to enter must be
} Of good moral character AMI must
furnish certificate of the same from
the institution from whence they
come. They are also required to fur
nish a certificate OF health. 1t has
been decided that not only students
OF universities are alone eligible bu
recent graduates as we'll. also high
school students who have completed
their course and are IS years old. The
government furnishes everything ex
cept the students board. which will
cost $3.50 per week. Each student
must also furnish summer uniform
bought from the government costing
IS. Shortly before the stu ients ar
rive a battalion Of infantry will come
, here and put up the tents and do othel
work towards getting the camp ready
q When tho students arrive they will
find everything prepared and within
"a hours nobody will know from
casual inspection hut that the camI
has been organized for long time.
Il Regarding the effect OF having 81
, many students in the town. Captain
Reeves sail that the students wer'
, signed on their honor to conform Il
the discipline provided for them; tina
I II there was any breach of that o.
anything was done to which tn,
, townspeople might object and students
' were found to be at fault the offend
ers would be sent home immediately
as there is no guardhouse provided a
the camp and there will be no way I,
punish offenders The officers will b,
chosen for their peculiar fitness TO
o this kind of work. At the camp a
o Gettysburg last summer there was no
a single complaint of misdemeanor OF
: the part of a student.
= Captain Reeves thanked the peopl,
d Of the city for the interest they ha,
taken and the city government for tn
Il donation of the sewer plant, lights
= etc.
l. The speaker was given a rising vot
: of thanks for what he had sal an,
many fingered to ask him more ques
y tions about the camp.
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