The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-25
FOR MORE PLATTSBURGS.
The Training Camp Seems to Solve
the Problem Of Preparedness.

To THE EDITOR OF The SuN-Sir: ]
have read with avidity every word OF
THE SUMS intensely interesting &C.
counts of activities at the plattsburg
college and business mems training
camps.
above all others the men at Plattsburg
are learning the rudiments Of soldering
with an aptness totally alien to ordi-
nary recruits. The regular army Off
GERS report that these rockies" at
Plattsburg learn more lessons In the
school of the soldier daily than ordinary
tyros learn in a moon. II may be as
sumed that the officers in charge have
done their utmost to devise no easy
schedule OF work and study. and the
silk stockings" a demonstrated to
n somewhat dubious country that they
are more than prepared. both mentally
and physically. to cope with the tasks
assigned them.
What will be the obvious result Of
this experiment? At the expiration of
n period Of one month there will be
graduated from this school camp twelve
hundred soldiers. Each Of them would
be quite competent In the event of a
crisis calling for thousands of volun-
teers to take his place in the incalcu-
lably important work Of whipping the
q" iilNtiio INV bIhpts ." cuNa
a contingency, each n were assigned
to the task Of training. let us say, one
hundred recruits. in three months time
the result would be $780, 900 fairly ca
pable fighting units. General Woods
experiment, therefore,. will put at the
service OF the Government 1900 toler-
ably competent officers and potentially
120,0 900 fairly good private soldiers.
Larger results should spring from
kA.a kzl-u 49, a.. - sLt. ~,
try a constant male student population
in attendance at our universities and
colleges numbering about 200.0 As
Stunning that 40 per cent. or 10000, OF
this number have to support themselves.
their summers are spent In profitable
labor. There remain 100, 900 comprising
the class ~vulgarly known as student
idle rich" In what manner the latter
class spend their summers Is well
known. At the end of each academic
year a goodly percentage Of them fit
of to Europe. provided there are no
wars or rumors Of wars ~thereabout.
The remainder go to our mountain and
seaside resorts, where they are engaged
the summer through In one continuous
round of bathing, boating. motoring,
tennis. dancing and bridge playing. II
is to the patriotism of this class Of
students. as free as air. that the United
States Government. through a we'll de-
fined system OF summer military in
struction camps, should appeal. These
men are for the most part At physically.
They are trained mentally. OF them
the best soldiers in the world could be
fashioned In the shortest time. Platts-
burg individually establishes that propo-
sition.
Instead OF one we should have a hun
dred military camps after the Plattsburg
model. Twenty-Five thousand trained
officers in three months time could
mould out of raw recruits a fighting
force OF 100000 men. Corral even
25, 1000 OF these l20.0 900 idle students,
give them three months training in
arms each hummer. and provided Uncle
Sam will undertake to keep in stock suf-
icient guns. ammunition n other
sinows OF val to furnish armies which
these men, when trained. a fashion.
a step of the utmost importance will
have been taken toward the solution OF
this country's problem of military pre-
paredness. With a force thus trained
to shape n large volunteer army to
supplement n regular army of 10000
men. 5000 more han are at present
In the United States army. and a well
trained and thoroughly equipped Ma
tional Guard OF ESQ. 900. double the
present number OF militia of the States.
we should be we'll prepared to meet
confidently any emergency which might
arise.
A. our great problem Ia TO prepare
ourselves for national defence without
exciting alarm in the minds Of those
who expatiate wildly on the dire pos
sibility of u becoming a military"
nation, the plan of extending the Platts-
burg experiment, as above outlined. is
submitted for the careful consideration
OF the alarmists mentioned.
YALE. 1912.
New YoRK. August 20.