The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-18
For the Nation.
F. H. Abbott,
County Agent.

Tho authorizing by the war depart
ment of the establishing of an infantry
unit of the reserve officers training corps
at the New Hampshire State college
gives definiteness and direction to the
military training which has always been
a feature of school life at Durham, and
in circumstances tending to cultivate the
sense of responsibility to the nation
The immediate and tangible results OF
the undertaking can be best calculated
by considering this New Hampshire in
cident as one of the many, looking at the
general plan in the whole, and study
ing it in principle. Suppose, for instance
that all the higher institutions OF learn
ing in all the states should have units
of the officers training corps, sending out
annually, in the aggregate, hundreds OF
Young men educated in the fundamentals
OF command. 1t is clear that the grave
difficulty of offering quickly enlisted
army would be overcome, in measure.
1t is true, of course, that the intensive
training at West Point would still be
requisite for the preparation OF perfectly
prepared officers for the regular army
and for purposes of instruction at all
times. but the enlarged military acad-
emy we are soon to have would surely
receive many students from the college
units, while the boys who did not choose
the military profession as vocation
would have an elementary foundation
for rapid advance in the school OF prac-
tical application, should there be call
for their services.
In the mean time, other results would
be achieved, intangible and pertaining to
the spirit, but nevertheless real and OF
the utmost value The recent mobiliza-
ton showed us the need of general feel
ing of responsibility to the nation-ot
men who involuntarily respond to call
for national service. Place the college
youth of the land under the instruction
of army officers year in and year out,
train them in the idea that they are
potential leaders of men when the ma
tion needs men, and you will see them
gradually acquiring the national point
of view. This sense of national respon-
sibility will be cultivated. 1t will be-
come n habit to think of call to the
colors as a personal call to duty.
And this leads us, as all our expert
ence and theories do, to the large idea
of universal, compulsory military train
ing. In a time of war, or OF threat
ened war. as in time OF peace for the
maintenance of peace, we need not only
officers. but enlisted men as well, quail
fed by some degree of preparation speed
ilv to perfect themselves as soldiers. And
both officers and men need to be not
only partly educated in the technique
of the military art, but also ruled by the
idea that they as citizens of the united
States are under the obligation OF serN-
ing their country and even OF making
the ultimate sacrifice If necessary. uni-
versal training-not CONSUMPTION, not
system such as that from which Europe
ans come to this country for refuge
not a militarism which demands the
surrender of the best years of young
manhood to regular army life, but school
military work and short period of in
tensive training under competent instrue-
tion-would be productive of these two
things, a knowledge of fundamentals
and a sense of duty TO the nation. 1t
would make CONSUMPTION unnecessary ex-
cept as a last resort.-Manehest Tn
Jon.