The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-10-08
College Boys, Business and Pro-
fessiona| Men Are Gladly Going
Through the Rigid Pace Set
For Them by Regular Army
Men-Thousands Being Mold
ed to Be Officers In Case We
Should Suddenly Be Plunged
Into Present War.
RHE United States has outdone
itself in the number of private
citizens it has trained for war

AA9SA IA AC - VA
citizens it has trained for war
in the past year. College boys
and business men have undergone the
habits which will fit them to officer any
army we may raise in case of hos
tilities with another country.
The preparation Of college boys in
vacation time has been a feature Of
the army system for two years, but the
European war put a new aspect on
what at first to the boys appeared mere
fun, and the possibility of our having
to jump into the present fray to up
hold our honor has only intensified the
interest shown by the young men be-
fore.
But now the older men have taken
steps to increase their efficiency as
possible soldiers. Staid business men,
members Of all the professions, men
high in the affairs Of the nation, have
set themselves as IN example for the
rest Of the nation by placing them
selves under the direction of compe-
tent army officers at Plattsburg. N. Y,
to be taught the ways of military life.
$4,000 Civilians Trained.
P~lattsburg's stretch Of thirty acres,
the summer military camp to train
civilians for duties as officers in case
Of war, has hummed with activity for
over a month.
1t is calculated that the great bar
racks at the edge Of the plateau has
housed at least $4,000 men. These are
drawn from the various component ele-
ments making up the mass Of prospec-
tive officers. Major General Leonard
Wood had supreme command Of the
maneuvers and was assisted by I'LL the
recognized authorities in the United
States army on the various branches
that make up a real soldier.
The faculty" to use a collegiate
term, comprises the experts on ord
nance, tactics, formations and other
technical branches that are requisite
to a we'll rounded, education.
Each year It is planned to have 49,
600 men assemble there. From these
a certain number will be given army
berths. The civilians who have passed
the student age are trained entirely
with IN eye to making them real off,
GERS. They are assigned to commands,
regular soldiers being bivouacked to
enable civilians to take charge Of them.
The curriculum of the school is not
the usual humdrum and routine Of a
summer camp. Scant attention Is paid
to the school Of the soldier. as the gen.
eral relies on the civilians to study
that for themselves. The plan is to
familiarize officers with the modern
weapons Of warfare. Machine gun
practice, according to General Woods
plan, is the important study. In com
pany with other modern soldiers Gen
eral Wood believes that the wars OF
the future will be fought with machine
guns rather than rifles. Great guns
have been mounted here, and the Of
6cers are taught their use.
Soldiers now stationed at the bar
racks see in this movement a great
forward step in the matter Of pre-
~paredness.
Militia In Poor State.
The volunteer militia Of the various
states is in a pretty poor state, &C.
cording to one Of the officers who is
an Instructor at the ummer school.
The men are poorly differed, he said,
~ they, themselves have not been