New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-05
MR.. DANIELS's UNIVERSITY
An Innovation That Proves Him an
Advocate of Preparedness.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: For some time Secretary Daniels has
been the target Of many papers that think
him blindly infatuated with pacifsm. That
he is not is indicated by his actions and by
his utterances, two OF which latter no less
ardent an advocate Of preparedness than the
National Security League has quoted in a
recent leahct entitled "Why We Are Not
Prepared for War"
You seem TO have hit upon the cause OF
the discomfort In recent editorial en-
titled Daniels Should Go as Well as
Bryan" you assail him because he has de-
voted more time and energy TO making the
navy an institution Of learning'-a sort OF
high school for the enlisted MAINTAIN he
has to making it highly tempered military
instrument" Further down you say: HE is
not in sympathy with any programme which
looks to tho subordnation Of the fads and
fances Of his educational scheme to genuine
military efficiency"
1t is true that according to old standards
the purpose Of an education is to produce
school teacher, a minister, physician or
lawyer, and likewise in the navy TO make
sailor and in the army a soldier. But let US
cries are crumblin8 every day and that IN
dications are not lacking that reforms are
needed in our military establishment.
What would you think of system that
would have pupils alternate week IN schooi
and a week in the shop for two years and
students spend their time in the same way
for FIVE years7 Does not this seem an edu-
cational heresy? Yet this has been an ac-
complished fact in Fitchburg for the last
nine years. You can find the same system IN
DAYTON. Ohio, and in the University of Gin
cinnati. And the reform is great success
You will see it here also. A similar system
of dual education prevails in the University
of Illinois and others of the same kind, where
many students devote a great deal of time
to military training and yet rival the other
students in learning and achievements.
You are for preparedness. God speed YOU
Some Of the advocates Of preparedness wan:
d reserve army of 100000 or 100000 or
100000. They demand more dreadnoughts
more of every mechanical requisite for the
defence of our country. We all feel the
need of adequate defences. But where are
the men? As it is we lack them. We have
deficit in our paltry army a deficit in our
incomplete navy and e deficit in the national
guard, in spite of the fact that our enlisted
men enjoy better conditions than those of
any other nation. The reason is that our
young men are practical. They look to the
future.
A young man who has given his best years
TO the army or to the navy when he leaves
the service is in the same condition as the
Office boy who dropped out of school at an
early age and who averages at the age OF
thirty-two Stops a week. This is our en-
listed mans baton de marechal The service
has used him during the period Of his en-
listment for the security of the country and
has paid him and kept him healthy, but has
done nothing more for his future.
The educational innovation Of Secretary
Daniels is undoubtedly an endeavor TO rem
cdv this evil and to make the service not
only useful to the country but profitable
for the enlisted servants of the country. No
reform can be accomplished without friction.
without hurting dear old habits and veneer
able feelings, thus inevitably bringing about
some decentralization" But when things
have been adjusted and this reform vii!
bear its fruit the patriots, those who believe
in clear-sightcd preparedness, will bless the
name Of Daniels.
Earnest and energetic efforts toward per
manent peace are being made Ill over the
world Mankind is tired Of barbarous heca-
tcmbs, Of the reckless destruction OF all yes
tices of civilization. We fervently hope, of
course, that this disastrous war will be the
last one, and that the peace conference will
brig about universal disarmament. Should
this hope be deceived and the possibility OF
war continue among nations, then this. the
wcalthicst country, will find itself more ex-
posed than any other TO the dangers Of war
and invasion. Then either we will have TO
have conscription or else make the service
so attractive that our military establishment
will before it is too late be recruited to ade-
ouate strength This latter course we may
now adopt. And to do that we must make
the school the preparation for the barracks
and ba;tleships and the latter the ccntinu-
alton Of the school.
This. it seems TO me, is precisely what our
Secretary of the Navy has the foresight to
advocate that the step from the school to
the battleship be made an easy and attrac-
tive one, so as to conquer the lsmentable
aversion to enlistment which prevails among
our youth and is a much greater danger TO
our security than insuffciency Of dread
noughts. y. BEhAk.
New York, June 30, 1915.