Honolulu star-bulletin., 1915-12-24
Education Committee Has Sub
ject Under Investigation for
More Than Six Months

So far as Punahou is concerned the
movement there for military training,
which is to be tried next semester, is
only Incidental TO the preparedness
movement which is. sweeping the
country, according to the statements
made at the public hearing on the
question Monday evening by Presi-
dent A. f. Grfffiths. Mr.. Griffiths'
statement follows, in full:
Military instruction Proposed.
"The trustees Fof Oahu College be-
gan the investigation of the desirable
ity of introducing military instruction
at Punahou more than siAlnonth ago.
The question was put in the hands of
the education committee for full in
vestigation and report in May, 1915.
Value az Training.
'In the investigation the committee
had always in mind the value of mill
tary instruction as part of the in
tellectual. moral and physical train
ing of the youth of the school and its
place in the course of study of Pun
ahou WHOSE history, traditions, organ
ization and peculiar place as com
munity school had especially to be
considered. The chief question was
whether military instruction would
make the boys at Punahou better in
dividuals, better members of the stu
dent body and better citizens when
they left school.
"The committee endeayored to dis
sociate this investigation entirely from
the large movement for preparedness
which is now sweeping the land. The
relation of the question of military in
struction at Punahou to the movement
for preparedness and to militarism in
any form as far as the school is con-
cerned, is absolutely incidental.
Committees Investigation.
The committee has investigated
the question not merely through the
literature of the subject, large
amount of which on both sides of the
question exists, but also, and more par
ticulafly, through the experience Of
similar schools on the mainland. There
are four principal kinds of educational
institutions in which military instruc-
tion is given. p.
Colleges and Universities.
Many of these are land grant col
leges whose federal aid is conditioned
upon the maintenance at the institu-
ton of military instruction.
Recently other colleges and univer-
sites which do not now receive and
which do not expect to receive, federal
aid are establishing elective courses
in military instruction and encourag-
ing the formation of volunteer military
companies. ~ j.. 81. +. :
Military Private Schools.
These are for the most part pri-
vate boarding schools for boys who
find it profitable to maintain military
instruction and discipline. =.
Private Academies. -. ..... -
Some of these are entirely day
schools, some partly day schools and
partly boarding schools. -...<.. -.
Public High Schools. ..... j.
Most of these which have military
training about which we have infor
nation require military instruction
for all boys, physically fit. -
"The investigation was chiefly con
cerned with the last two kinds OF
schools in which the conditions are
more nearly like those that obtain al
Punahou Very few schools were
found in which the conditions exact
ly paralleled those at Punahou.
Reports Conflicting. ~..
The reports from the principals
and superintendents of these schools
which now have or have had military
instruction were conflicting. Some
strongly favored military instruction
and reported emphatically upon its
merits. Others doubted whether ol
not it accomplished all that was
claimed for it.. Very few condemned
/ it. Its success in a given schoo
seemed to depend very much upOT
local conditions, e. G., the support o.
the principal or superintendent, tht