New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-17

agility, coordination. erectness of carriage,
knowledge of how to walk.
At the age of fourteen or fifteen additions
could be made to the programme, such as
cooking fire lighting, signalling, first aid
swimming nature walks and the other out
door exercises in which our Boy Scouts de-
light, not forgetting their foremost prlnci-
pie, that of doing for others-the very foun-
dation of true patriotism and good citizen
ship.
Everything thus far suggested would bene-
fit any child, and, By making him stronger
and better citizen benefit the state, totally
irrespective Of war or future military SER
vice Military drll' is not at all essential
and could be dispensed with altogether, so
far as the school curriculum is concerned.
At the age Of fifteen or sixteen body and
mind are sufficiently advanced to make some
Introductory military training a possibility.
Ii is, of course, desirable that the soldier
should know how TO shoot, and the earlier
he learns the better. Usually that is not
very difficult process, but it takes time. and
when war comes there are many other things
to be attended to- Besides, shooting trains
the eyes, the nerves and the muscles in ac-
curacy and coordination. Sub-calibre ranges
are not expensive and are less dangerous
| than practice in the open with high power
rifles. They should constitute the first step,
after the usual sighting and holding exer-
cises, which require no ranges at all-not
even ammunition. But nothing can take the
place Of work outdoors, with actual distances
to be covered by eye and bullet and with the
distracting effects of light, shadow and WIND.
This would constitute the final stage, held
out to those boys who qualified in the pre-
liminaries
For that purpose we should have to have
more ranges, but they are badly needed any
how for our militia. Such shooting would
not consume much time If properly system
affixed Two Saturday holidays on the ranges
each year ought to prove sufficient to quail
ify the average boy as a marksman after
the completion OF his preliminary work. It
should be possible for all who show ability
indoors TO get at least two chances out OF
doors between the 1st of May and the lst
of November this, too, with small enough
squads 10 entail the minimum Of danger and
provide the maximum of instruction.
In connection with this work tactical
walks" could be taken and exercises given in
estimating distances, taking cover patrolling,
sketching and the like. Divide your boys
into two parties (of course, unarmed) and
assign them to a certain sector, neither
group. however. knowing just where the
other NAV be encountered. Here is a game
Of out-of-doors hide and seek which is
bealthful. full of fun and most useful from
the military standpoint.
At about this same age-that Is, from mr.
teen I'D TO eighteen-the boy ought 70 be
strong enough, subject, Of course to physl-
cal examination, to take part in voluntary
summer camps. The elimination OF these
camps should certainly be week or ten days
If hiking or manpuyres, following the plan OF
the students camps which for the last few
wears have been conducted so successfully by
tho War Department for college and school
bovs of eighteen years and upward. In this
connection camp for boys OF hfteen to
seventeen Dust too young for the students
camps is to be held this year at Fort Terry,
on Plum Island, at the entrance to Long ISL
and Sound.
At the age Of eighteen or nineteen or
twenty the serious work OF instruction
should begin. and should be universal for
those physically capable Of performing 1t,
including those who have left school. Al
that time of life any normal young man is
amply strong enough TO do the work which
proved so useful and at the same time so
beneficial at the student and business mems
camps Two WohOHS VI intensive trimming
even If not repeated, will 90 far toward inn
parting the fundamental duties of soldier.
This is substantially the length Of the
Swiss first year tour Of duty A month or
five weeks mi ght suffice, but a longer period
is preferable; there is no question that the
second month would be worth many times
the first. Those of us who completed our
Plattsburg duties can testify that the fourth
week. devoted to manGuvres. was many times