The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-11-12
CADET CORPS SHOULD
SUPPLANT ATHLETICS
Military Training for All in College
ExeeIs Competition for Few, DE.
clares Puck


College athletics are now at thei
height. Every day hundreds, and j
some eases thousands, Of people jour
ney 10 see few picked men on th
football field battle with q few men o
another college. while the studen
body sits in the cheering stands, an,
except for expansion Of the lungs, get
no exercise whatever. Without at
tacking football, Puck suggests tina
there Is room for reform in college
athletics
In particular, il does no, seem il
keeping with American institutions Il
have trainer, coaches, rubbers, wait
ers and private dining halls devoted t.
the physical development of the physi
cally most fl men in the college Will,
the majority of the students get little
or no physical training.
On the other hand, the need for a
body of trained disciplined men in the
United States was never greater than
to-day With Europe ablaze with the
worlds greatest war. with armies and
naviesa learning daily new lessons in
offence and defence, no nation just be-
cause il is out of the actual conflict
can afford TO be mere spectator Of
the colossal drama. Old notions Of
security are giving way, and not with
out reason, to doubt Jingo boastful-
ness gives place to sober thinking,
While is is not Puck's intention to
dwell upon the needs Of the army and
navy, ii must be apparent to all that
one phase of need goes deeper than
guns or forts or submarines or air.
craft. There is need Of men. 1t
takes more than good will, more than
money to equip, clothe, feed and or
ganize an army The foundation of
military strength in any nation is
trained men, men who are accustomed
10 discipline, men who when called to
the colors do not have to spend from
six months 10 year in training
camp.
The universities and colleges of our
country could solve the problem of
adequate military defence. Trained
men could be recruited from the ranks
of our students by simple system.
For less money than is at present ex-
pended for the football team, a system
of military drill under the supervision
of corps of trained experts could be
installed which would be of real body
building benefit to every student. The
colleges through the medium of the
athletic associations could easily APP
point two days a week on which the
entire college should assemble for mil
itary drill, manoeuvring and military
exercises. Puck suggests that uni
versity army, whose regiments would
be the student body of each of our
colleges. would meet the needs of the
physical development of the students
and Of national emergency defence.
The magnificent work done by the
Boy Scouts in the war in Europe to-
day can give but slight indication of
what could be accomplished by SINH
lar trained body of educated grown up
men. The Boy Scouts are but boys,
and uneducated boys at that. But yet
such important work as guarding rail-
road crossings, watching reservoirs,
supplies, &c, is entrust-
ed to them simply because of their
in looking at situation
from larger point of view and de-
Gliding promptly what is to be done.
The peace establishment Of the I'M
tied States at present costs $3.50, ,000,- |
600. The sum is immense and cannot |
be largely increased. The results in
the way Of national defence are made
quate. The total of the amount ex-
pended in all Of our colleges for the So
called major sports would sum up
comparatively to quite as appalling |
an amount. College athletics, al
though they occupy lot of space in
our newspapers, are without commen-
suraie value to the great bulk Of the
students. Without any increased ex
pendi,ure either for armament by our
Of for athletics by our
colleges the need for a larger army
and for physically better men can be
met by the plan Of university peace
army.
Would il not be more inspiring
sight than any football game to SIT
In the stand and watch the entire col
Iege with banners flying, man TO man,
70 through the manoeuyers Of drill
"a drill that would develop them indi-
into physically fit men, and
as unit into body Of immense
potential value To their country?
Would not such an army be great
force toward cohesion and democracy
IN the student body? Would not this
peace army be rod and a staff TO the
United States--this army OF educated