Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-09
{ IOWA MAN MAKES sU0GEsTloN
WHICH Is FINDING MUCH
Us. Ss..fs FAVOR.
FREE EnycATloN WITH
MILITARY TRAINING
Believes Fathers Of Youths Would Fa-
vor plan Because Of educational
Features ofiesrs Of Posts to Act
as instructors -New Costs $4,000 to
Pvt Soy !s.a Nest Point. in 'Addi-
tionsto -Four Years Of Time.
Especial Correspondence

i ~ US
Washington. April Stree higher
education and military training COM
bined in training system at unused
army posts in the United States is the
Idea advanced by an officer of the
Iowa national guard to number a
members OF congress and to the ger.
eral stan Of the army.
The officer who has advanced the
idea is Major Frank p. Lyman. Jr.. Of
Des Moines, long identified with the
national guard and for some years an
officer in the regular army. where he
saw service in the signal corps . in
Cuba, Porta Rico and the Philippines.
It is announced that a bill will be
presented in Congress next session
embodying the idea which Major
Lyman has advanced. Whether it is
passed as introduced may be consid-
cred doubtful but prominent army Off
GERS here say the idea at the basis Of
it. is meritorious and ought to receive
serious attention.
Academies in Army Posts.
The plan Of Major Lyman is to turn
the unused army posts, or some Of
them. into military academies where
young men can be trained to become
officers in the national guard or in
any force Of volunteers raised for the
defense Of the country.
He holds that the national guard
officers at present however willing
they may be, can not afford to take
the time from their business to give
that study and attention to military
problems which it is necessary to give
If one is to know how to command
troops In field. Every man who knows
In the field. Every man who knows
anything about the army knows that
it is one thing to put troops thru the
evolutions Of the drill hall of the
parade ground. but it Is quite another
thing to command them In active cam
paigning and to handle them in battle
SO as at once to protect them from
being needlessly cut to pieces and at
the same time give them maximum
Of efficiency as fighting machines.
This is something, as Major Lyman
knows and says, which can not be
learned in day or a month. The
fit officer can be trained only thru
hard and intense work and application.
Tie sad lack Of trained officers in the
north in the civil war cost the country
sreineridously and again the lack Of
in the Spanish war and the campaign
Ing in the Philippines was expensive
in dollars and in lives.
West Pointers Costly.
Major Lyman does not purpose to
interfere with West Point. He says it
costs four years time and $4,000 to
turn out West Pointer and that he's
worth every cent of it. The next
problem is how to provide trained Off
..ers for the national guard and for the
volunteers who would be needed by the
hundreds Of thousands. perhaps mil
lions in case Of great war with a
first class power.
He would have congress enact law
authorizing the war department to
designate four or more now vacant
army posts in different parts Of the
country as military academies for the
guard and volunteers. Let the en-