Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-01
EDUCATION IN THE ARMY.

GDOOA 41OIN lN LIE ENLSh .
| How Uncle Sam keeps the officers
and men in his army up to the tor
notch OF efficiency is told in special
report on Educational Systems in the
American Army" in the annual report
, OF the commissioner OF education just
issued. The statement was prepared
by Captain Douglas Macarthur and
approved by General Leonard Wood.
No country in the world has as COM
plete a system of professional scholas-
tic training for its officers as the Unit
ed States declares Captain MacAr-
thur. This is due to the inherent diff
ference between the military establish
ments of foreign nations and that of
our own. Their armies are at all times
kept upon a war footing, as a result
OF which they have ample opportunity
for the perfect training of the person
mel in the practical duties of the mill
tary profession.
In such an army, the main object
is TO train every man for the efficient
performance OF his duties in the grade
which he holds when war comes. a
lieutenant does not dream OF becom-
war except as a vacancy is made for
him in the casualties of battle. Only
in the same way does a captain expect
20 become a colonel; nor would the
idea be tolerated that great Plumbers
of trained line officers are 10 be sud
denly transferred TO various staff posi-
lions.
Their organizations are founded
upon the theory that there is nothing
mysterious in the art of war. that
technical and scientific training is
needed by only small portion of mill
tary officers; that certain things
which a Napoleon must know, every
officer must know. and can as readily
acquire as he; while those things
which differentiate a Napoleon from
other generals cannot be acquired in
any school. not even in that of war.
Such a system would be thorough
~ unsound if transplanted TO the Amer
lean army, the organization of which
is quite different from continental ar
mics. In fact, the most striking feat
ure in our service is the absence of
what constitutes the very essence OF
the foreign establishments; that is,
great standing army serving in' corps.
divisions, and brigades. 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 /
must therefore differ from that of the |
other great nations of the world. 1t |
must be such as to educate our officers ,
so that they viii be able at a moments |
notice. when the war expansion comes, |
10 perform the duties OF far-advanced /
grades and TO render service in |
branches of the army, both line and .
staff, in which they are not commits
stoned in time of peace. For this rea-
ION We have established a progressive
jystem of schools designed to teach Of
icers and men, limited only by their
Individual capacities for IT'S assimiIa-
ion, the duty of the man-in-arms IN
III grades from lowest TO highest.
The military educational system of
he United States comprises: The
military academy at West Point for
he education of cadets; post schools
or the instruction of enlisted men;
arrison schools for the instruction of
Ulcers in subjects pertaining to the
of their ordinary duties;
he army service schools at Fort Leav-
nworth. Kans.. including the army
chool OF the line. the army stan col
sge. the army signal school, the army
ED engineer school. the army field
ervice and correspondence school for
ledical officers; the special service
chools, consisting OF the engineer
chool. Washington barracks. d. c.. the
cast artillery school. fort Monroe,
a. the mounted service school, Fort
Hey. kans., the army medical school,
Washington, ID. C., the school OF firing
'r fed artillery. Fort Sill. Okla, the
,hool OF musketry. Fort Sill, Okla, the
gnal corps aviation school. San Diego,
al. the schools for bakers and cooks.
'ashington barracks. ID. c., and pre-
do OF San Francisco, Cal, the train
x school for saddlers and for battery
echanics OF field artillery. Rock Is
nd arsenal, the school OF instruction
r enlisted men OF the regular army
lected for detail for duty with the
ganized militia, the engineer trade
hOOls. the army war college. Wash
5ton. ID. C; the schools OF instruc-
n for college students. and the mill
y departments OF civil institutions (
which officers OF the army are de- {
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