The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-08-19
MILITARY CAMPS
PROVE POPULAR
1000 College Men Now Get
ting Practical Training.
PRESIDENT PRAISES PLAN.

Army Men Say Problem of Junior
Officers For an Army of 100000 vii
Be Solved In This Manner-Heads oil
Leading Colleges and Universities
operate In Accusing Interest.
"The camps will tend to disseminate
sound information concerning our mil.
itary history and the present policy of
the government In military matters In
addition to giving the young men
themselves very considerable amount
of military instruction, which would
be useful to them In case their services
should ever be required"
The words quoted are those of Presi.
dent Wilson, and his reference Is to
the military camps of instruction for
|. college men which are to be estab-
| llshed In various parts of this country
| The largest of them is at Plattsburg
barracks, n. Y, where more than 500
young men from the universities and
colleges of New England, New York
and New Jersey are assembled for mil
itary instruction under regular army
officers from July to Aug 8.
The camps were first suggested and
organized when Major General Leon
ard Wood was the chief of the general
staff In Washington. General Wood
has taken the liveliest interest in the
movement, and it is his opinion that
the majority of the college men trained
at these camps would be available for
commissioned rank in the junior grades
In the event of national crisis. Last
year between 700 and 800 students at
tended the four camps. This year at
least 1000 are in attendance.
General Wood Praises Camps.
'The work done last year was ad-
mirable." General Wood said recently. |
only two men in all the camps In the |
United States were sent home because |
of failure in discipline. They made an
excellent shooting record, shooting the
entire militia course. At the end of the
period board of army officers went
over their work and qualifications and
recommended 1919 of them as fit for
volunteer officers in the lower grades.
captains and lieutenants. | hope that
this system eventually will grow into
a general movement embodying, say,
six months enlistment. broken into
three periods of two months each, to
be taken during the economic or edu-
cational vacation so as to interfere as
little as possible with the work of
young men in business and the boys In
college.
IF we can do this there will be de-
veloped II very large number of trained
as officers of volunteers
md n still larger number. of course.
rs trained men to form nucleus of
volunteer companies in case we are
30 unfortunate as to become involved in
var. Some such method as this must ;
De adopted because when war comes
t will come suddenly. and unless we s
ire the aggressor, which is highly i'm {
1t will come from one who is I
wholly prepared and who knows when {
lie is coming and where he is coming"
In the event the country was called
Ipon to organize large land force for ,
License II Is the opinion of General
Wood that we would need about 1900
additional officers, the estimate being
uSSu oh an my VI OOOOOO IleH. ne d.
elieves that the college camps will !.
lay most important part in the solu-
lon Of this problem of officers
The college camp movement. in addi-
on to Its unqualified Endorsement by
Wilson, Secretary Garrison,
General Wood and General Scott, the u
resent chief of the general staff. also
as the Endorsement of majority Of "
lie heads of the principal universities p
nd colleges. Among them are Presi- n
ents Hadley of Yale, Lowell of Har- a
ard, Hibben of Princeton, Wheeler Of t.
alifornia, Drinker of Lehigh, Schur- a
AN of Cornell. Hutchins of Michi- a
IN, Kirkland of Vanderbilt. Denny OF
labama and DR.. John II. Finley, COM a,
issioner of education for the state of fl
ew York. S,