The Washington times., 1915-12-26

the Germans win they anticipate mat
before Ions 1t will be realized that this
country must put forth vastly greater
effort than ANYBODY has yet considered
necessary. Meantime. with the issue in
Europe yet In the balance. they insist
that whatever preparation for increa sed
array strength is now made. must be
regarded ts tentative and provisional.
Study Different Methods.
During the recess OF Congress some
OF the members are making studies OF
various institutional methods of pro-
viding volunteer military training.
These include the work OF high school
cadets, of regular military schools. and
OF the state colleges to which the Fed
eral Government contributes, in con-
sideration, partly. of their affording
military drill for students. Some OF
these institutions have won high praise
for their effective work. Throughout
the South. for instance, Virginia Mill
tary Institute holds a rank for military
efficiency. based on the work of Its
graduates during the civil war and the
Spa nish-American contest, that Is hard
ly second to the esteem entertained for
West Point. There are other institu-
tions. such as the one at Culver. Ind.
that are only less famous for their
methods of making soldiers out OF
youthful students.
IL such results can be attained In a
small number Of highly organized and
efficient institutions. why not gener-
ally That Is the question which adVo-
Gates of an institutional army are
pressing.
They point to the fact that West
Point takes young man at high school
him the college education that he would
get at an ordinary university. but. In
addition. makes a soldier of him and
trains him for the duties of an officer.
Excellent European military authori-
ties have declared that the corps of
cadets at West Point Is the finest body
OF infantry in the world IF it is pos
sible to make soldiers of such quality
in four years and at the same time
give the academic. technical. and pro-
fessional training that is generally re-
garded as the best. for army offlcers.
provided in any institution in the world,
Why would It not be possible to csta b.
lish a different kind OF educational in
commissioned officers should be pre-
pared in much shorter time, while n
vocational or technical education was
also provided?
Coordination of Schools.
Co-ordinati ton Of the public schools.
colleges. and professional military
training institutions Ia generally con-
templated in all plans OF this kind.
favor Of such scheme of universal
military instruction Is that it would be
of immense benefit to the young men.
Boys in the intermediate and high
schools would be given the great physi-
cal and disciplinary advantages Of
military training. Those who went
farther with the course would include
a very large proportion. who. in con-
sdera ton of becoming members, for a
fixed term OF tho reserve OF either of
hcers or men, would be given the op-
tion that otherwise might be beyond
their means. Thus the intelligence level
would be raised. and at the same time
the trained material for really eff
Cient army would he provided. to the
extent OF hundreds of thousands OF men
annually. without keeping a standing
army OF large numbers.
There are plenty Of people who insist
on regarding all such plans dc >IsIon-
ary and outrageous, but the fact re-
mains that they are getting a good deal
OF consideration. and that they will
have much support from military men.
The relations between the educational
and the military systems in Germany
are being studied with close attention.
and an increasing realization that Ger
man superiority in the field IL init
mately related to the fact that the
Germans have wrought the military
ideal into their educational structure.
and the educational ideal into their
TO have done much for the nation. The
general efficiency of the German peo-
pie, whether in civic or military life
Is pointed to as attestation of the
practicability and usefulness of a plan
that combines the two.