The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-01-23
FAVORABLE REPORT
GIVEN ARMY BILL
M'kELLER MEASURE PROVIDES
FOR MILITARY TRAINING
SCHOOLS.

Washington, Jan. ztA-An army of
ticers' reserve of at least 10000 mel
to be trained at military schools. on,
In every state, at two-thirds fedora
and one-third state expense, is contem
plated in the Mcclellan administration
bill favorably reported to the House
: by the military affairs committee. The
bill drawn by Representative Kenneth
D. McKellar of Tennessee, the author
of the cold storage BILL and a membe,
e of the military committee has the full
V Endorsement of Secretary Garrison Of
t the War Department. The bill is one
! OF the notable administration meas
ures to meet the necessity for strength
ening the army.
The Mcclellan bill provides for the
creation in each state of a military
training school, which must have not
less than 300 students, who will re.
ceive a sound academic education and
such military instructions from army
officers as will fit them for the duties
of reserve or volunteer officers in time
of need.
This" says Secretary Garrison in
letter to Chairman Hay of the military
committee today, sis a most commend
able purpose and the bill should great
ly assist in remedying one of our great
est deficiencies in the matter of ma.
tional defense-that is, the lack of
trained officers to supplement those
in our small regular army
"The academic and military training
is to be modelled as closely as possible
after that now given at the United
States Military Academy, thus laying
the foundation for useful citizens as
well as officers in time of emergency"
The bill provides that the state legis-
latures shall designate the institution
which is to receive the benefits of the
act. Each state must contribute $4O.-
600 year to the training school and |
the national government contribute |
$4,000. The boys are to be selected |
by competitive examination from each
county in every state by the superin-
tendents of public instruction. When
selected they are to be housed. fed.
clothed, maintained, given a splendid
academic education and a military
training under experienced army Of
fcers, during their whole course. After
graduation they are under contract to
serve as officers in military service of
the United States at any time they
may be called upon by the United
States within a period of seven years
after graduation. This will afford to
the government when all the institu-
tons are in operation an ever-continu-
Ing reserve of about 10000.
The admission to the institution and
The academic training of the students
IS to be left entirely to the faculty or
management of each local institution.
The detailed control" says Secretary IN
Garrison, "is vested in the authorities \
If the institution, the state and the
lation, in what appears to be a sensi
lie and workable arrangement, so that
IN the whole, l feel that the bill is Il
veil designed to create. in an econom.
cal manner, system of institutions I II
whose great and far-reaching value
an hardly be appreciated at this time.
n view of these considerations | ask H
he favorable Consideration of this
ill by your committee" Hi
Under the provisions of this bill III
here Will be between $1,000 boys In
hese institutions at ali times when
II the institutions are in operation, ll
Hillary authorities in Congress who lUl
ave conferred on the subject say that Y
MS Is the most advanced step ever, Nc
lken by the federal government in n
ne cause Of general education and
lat its value to the country from an
EDUCATIONAL sense would be indefinite "A
larger than its value in furnishing VI
4 army officers reserve. IN
Il am delighted that the administra- I'M
on has approved my measure" said III
representative Mcclellan, "and shall iii
AXE every effort to get it heard at III
e earliest possible moment with. a III
ew to its enactment into law. The III
II is not the outgrowth of the Euro I'LL
'an war. 1t was prepared and intro ! III
ICED nv me a vow ord h.,s llN