The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-06-03
Educational System in
the United States Arnv.

How Uncle Sam keeps the officers
and men in mis- army up to the top
notch of efficiency is told in a 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 ap-
proved by General Leonard Wood
NO country in the world has as
complete a system of professional
scholastic training for its officers as
the United STATES" declares CAPTAIN
Macarthur. This is due to the inner
ent difference between the military
establishments of foreign nations and
that of our own. Their armies are
at all times kept upon war footing,
as a, result of which they have ample
opportunity for the perfect training of
the personnel in the practical duties
of the military profession.
I'm such an army the main object
is to ia n every man for the efficient
performance of his duties in the grade
whic1. lie holds when war comes. A
lieutenant does not dream of becom-
ing captain merely as the result of
war except as a vacancy is mde for
him in the casualties of battle. Only
in the same way does a captain Elk
pect to become colonel; nor would the
idea be tolerated that great numbers
of trained line officers are to be sud
denly transferred to various staff po-
sitions.
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
itary officers; that certain things
which a Napoleon must know, every
officer must know, and can as readily
acquire as he; while those thingss
which differentiate a Napolean from
other generals cannot be acquired in
any school. not even in that of war.
such a system would be thoroughly
unsOund is transplanted to the Amer
lean army. the organization of which
is quite different from continental ar
mics. In fact, the most striking fea-
ture 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 mini
mum of theory.
Our system of military education
must. therefore. differ from that of
the other great nations OF the world
II must be such as to educate our Of
ficers so that they will be able at a
moments notice. when the war ex-
pansion comes, to perform the duties
of far advanced grades and TO render
service in branches of the army, both
lie and staff, in which they are not
commissioned in times Of peace. For
tins reason we have established a
progressive system OF schools design
ed to teach officers and men. limited
only by their individual capacities for
its assimilation, the duty of the man
.n-arms in all grades from lowest to
highest.
The military educational system of
the United States comprises: the mil
itary academy a [ West Point for the
education Of cadets; post schools for
the instruction of enlisted men; gar
rison schools for the instruction of
officers in subjects pertaining to the
performance of their ordinary duties;
the Army Service schools at Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas, including the