Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-23
TEACHING BOYS
THE ART OF WAR
Schools That Do This Are Found in
% States and the District of
Columbia-Military Drill and It's
Relation to National Defense.
Rn EpWARp r. BusHNELL

BY EDWARD r. BUSHNELL
WHETHER the public schools as we'll as
w the State universities Of the United
states shall provide courses in military IN
struction is attracting much attention. with
such leader as former President Roose-
welt laundering forth his warnings against
the unpreparod condition Of this country
properly to defend itself the advocates of
some form Of compulsory military drill seem
to be in the ascendant. From one end OF the
country to the other this sentiment is gain
ing new advocates It ls reflected IN the in
creased attendance at the various under
graduate military camps the widespread in
terest in the camp planned for older men ut
Plattsburg. N. Y, and the many branches
being formed Of the National Security
League in all the large cities. branch Of
the league was organized in Philadelphia
last night
Naturally the advocates Of total disarma-
ment oppose adding anything to the MILL
tary burdens of the country, and, therefore,
protest against the suggestion even Of OPP
tonal courses in military instruction I'm our
public educational institutions
Phlladelphla's interest in tho matter Of
military instruction has been accentuated by
the offer of Dr. Joseph Leidy to be one of
hundred men to contribute $1,000 each for the
establishment OF O. course in military in
Htruction In our own Central High School
Doctor Leidy, who is n graduate OF the Cen
trail High School and the University of Penn
eylvana has picked out the system Of mill
tary instruction in the schools of Switzer-
land as the model for the course he pro-
poses for the Central High School. The
Swiss system is likewise the ono which Col
onel Roosevelt holds up as the ideal for
America
In Switzerland the boys receive military
training during the last few years in the
public schools After their graduation they
serve with the army for from four to six
months, and then for eight or ten days
every year for a period of ten years. The
advocates of this system maintain that 1t not
only provides Switzerland with an immense
army at a minimum cost of money and in
convenience but that II adds to the physical
and industrial efficiency of the nation.
One Hundred Military Academies
West Point and Annapolis are the two in
stitutions from which the United States gets
most of its officers for the army and navy.
And 1t will get more when these schools
either expanded or the Government estab-
fishes additional schools in other parts OF
the country as 1t should
tary way from still another source, the 100
private military schools and academies scat
tered over 20 States. Every one of these
schools makes instruction and drill in mill
tary matters an essential part OF the cur
riculum To a certain extent military dis
cipline is considered to be fair substitute
for the athletic systems adopted in so many
Of our public and private schools.
There are many educators who believe that
the average boy is improved by the rigid dis
cpline 10 which he must submit in a mill
tary school Without doubt such a course
has been the making OF many boy who
found the purely intellectual courses of pub
lie schools and private academies irksome.
Certainly these courses in military training
make for a better specimen of physical boy
hood
But how does Uncle Sam profit? In many
of the military schools and colleges there are
on the faculties graduates of West Point
who in addition to other subjects teach mill
tary training and supervise the drills. The
graduates of these institutions would be the
first to enlist In case volunteers were called
for any war in which this country might
engage.
The graduates of all universities supported
by the State could also help out in such an
emergency because military drill in varying
degrees is obligatory on the part of the stu
dents Their instruction is furnished by
army officers assigned TO duty by the War
Department.
New York leads in the number of military
schools and academies Counting the Ma
tional Military Academy at West Point, the
Empire State has II such schools. Pennsyl-
vana has but two and both are near Phila-
delphla. One is the Cheltenham Military
Academy, at ogontz and the other is the
Pennsylvania Military College, at Chester
The distribution of these preparatory mili-
tary schools by States is follows, accord
ing to the American College and Private