New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-09
COLLEGIANS IN TRAINING.
What the Military Camp Did for
Them and for Preparedness.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir; The success Of the College Hillary
Camp at Plattsburg is very gratifying 20 the
peace people of the United States who believe
in adequate armament as a necessary and
supporting part OF the peace movement
have Just returned from visit to the col
lege camp and am in position 70 testify boih
as to the popularity of the movement and the
efficiency of the work done. There has been
a question in many minds whether these COL
lege men took this military life seriously or
whether they considered it as O vacation TIP
The work was taken most seriously, and 'he
students applied themselves TO the task oeloEe
them in the same spirit IN which a college
team puts a pigskin between the poles or
baseball man over the plate or winning
crew across the line. There was an earnest
ness and a snap about everything IN camp
that indicated their interest Do the real PROV
lem before them. spent two days Win mem 10
and around camp, and had special facilities
for ascertaininc their real sentiments ana
although the work assigned 20 them was yer!
severe and far from being a picnic not a
complaint did hear on account OF the hS''
work exacted of them
One of the most noticeable incidents oil 'ns
camp was the thoroughly democraie ms
There was no indication as to who were t''H
or who were poor, or as to family prominence
All shared alike in tent, at the me''
table and in the field work. every one per-
forming the task without murmur va
a beautiful sight to find six hundred Of 'Ds
bright. brainy men assembled ihere' Ip''
senting some twenty college from Maine
Texas, with the largest numbers from H-''
ward. Yale. Cornell and Princeton 10
perhaps, fair to say that out 3i the 'A h'",
dred four hundred Of these men "ou1' ~
able in an emergency 70 organ'ze' urn
command a company of men. oi course '"'
is only small portion of tne NUMBER 'I''
would be required in a great na'ion@' ~
fence movement, but it Is beginhlhg
when we realize that there are TWO NUM-
thousand students i'm the colleges o. 70"
United States and that there IS every
pectation of being able 10 interest t"eN'
thousand of these a year Do the course A..
five years it would make quite a respec'10.if
nucleus in our proposed citizen reserve
volunteer soldiers. .r.o
1t is especially worth while 20 men''O"
that the physical advantage 10 these m'D
incalculable. Although nauy Of them S''s
athletes in college, the great ou.a o. ~
students were men Of more or Jess se''n.1'' -.
habits, because Of their student ule' Ou' ~
five weeks of hard drilling and sleel 'ns
working in the open air have been Oh - 10
benefit to them. All Of the men te-t."'u
this with the exception Of H." OF the !y'D,
err men, who, because Of rapid growth 4nu -,
mature development, were hardly eqiA .,,-
strain of long marches under me les'''
pack of forty pounds, on thc whole end
This is one of the most comm hd'O.' ,ss
hopeful movements of modern im''' ". h
people of the United States need 10 -
afraid of miltarlsm so long as our ~ mi,
include such men as were gathered p" me
camp. None of them wished 20 aghF ~
of them wished war; they are all pesee 9th
but they have gone into this moVeiI 'li..,iog
the highest motive of patriotism oei. en-.
it to be an obligation and duty TO put ' ,ssir
selves in position to be Of service ,,.;yrg
country in case OF an emergency regJ,y,
it. ANDREW b. HU IN -. -,
Director, The American Peace ana
ton League.
New York Aug s. 1915.