The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-27
TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
A French View Of It's Importance %
war Preparedness.

fOpe should influence more aCtlVel
han usual our own plans as to the
grave business Of war. In this war.
said NJ. Astier lately in the French
Senate. IL Is before all things neces-
sdry to see the events of the past
in right perspective. 1t is only Just to
recognize that tho German organiza-
ton. Industrial. scientific. and military.
has on the whole worked admirably.
Largely the German success is due to
foresight. In the last twelve years
Germany has been mobilizing w
great armies. technical and military.
on a scale never before imagined. The
tremendous issues OF the wal hang
upon the efficiency Of skilled workers
In factories. OF specialists In munition
| plants and Laboratories Of chemistry
and explosives. All that we have
heard OF encounters between Germans
ard Russians. between Turks and
English. between French and Ger
mans is. in a purely scientific sense,
merely the outcome of lessons, and the
work of experts formed in schools of
technology.
The debate on the subject in the
French Senate and Chamber OF Depu-
ties vas very Impressive. NJ. Buisson
said that scarcely 10 per cent. OF the
lads and young women at work In
French factories were receiving an
adequate technical education. Nj
Paul Strauss assured the Chamber
tnat this was true. and NJ. Astier in
his speech gave figures which indi-
Gated serious economic weakness.
There is a profound contrast between
the numbers and output of technical
sci ools In Germany and the numbers
and output OF technical schools in
France. a simple glance at the figures
shows the contrast clearly. There are.
FOR example. beyond the Rhine II
high schools OF technology with $4,000
regular pupils. s high schools of
with 1000 students. while
France has in It's high schools of tech
nology and only 5000. In
tie matter OF secondary school the
strong front OF Germany Is every
where shown. and the relative weak
less Of France appears more de.
cldedly. Altogether Germany has 5i7
Industrial schools with $4,000 pupils
50 Chools OF business with 200 stu
dents. whereas France has but {
schools Of arts and crafts with l.s0C
pupils. With respect 10 primary
schools the contrast is still more s,rik
INK In 1902 Germany had 2ilt
schools OF mechanical training with
100000 pupils. and 400 schools Of com.
n~4ercial training with 10000. France
has excellent schools OF this kind al
Nantes. Nlerzon. Noiron. Besancon anc
Paris. hut the number Of scholars does
not exceed fifty or sixty thousand
The number of these scholars in Ger
many In 1902 was 400. 900. NJ Astiei
concluded with a general statistic. lr
France 80. 900 boys and girls are re
c..ving a professional education II
special schools. that Is trade and bust
ness schools. but in Germany the mum
Der is far more considerable. in ont
year the number OF scholars in purely
technical schools reached $40. 600
This was IN 1902 The present number
faust be much greater.
The result OF the debate was that IN
Frerch Government very wisely do
cided to set up a system Of schools 10,
the spreading OF soun education II
trade. business and technology. TIL
Al'IIi' llAloaS SSNatS dIe IhllAluk III wv
balance. They are; How 10 turnisi
technical instruction for boys an,
eirls. how 20 restore the deplete,
ranks OF skilled soldiers and work
ers. and how 10 teach soldier
manned and mut.lated in battl
a trade useful to them In supportln.
their families. NJ. Berriot. Mayor q
Lyons, has organized professiona
schools for this purpose-tcoles pro
fessionelles du blesse. But" asks VI
Ast!er, where is the legion TO be pro
cured Of engineers. foremen, skillo'
workers. artisans. lahorers OF all kind
20 restore the parts Of France ravage.
and destroyed in the war"
The events OF the last e.ghtee,
months have demonstrated the mil!
tary and industrial superiority ot IN
nation that has a trained army o
skilled engineers. Of mon Iualified II
/, mechanics, IN electricity. physics an.
chemistry. Some authorities stat
that the present war IS a question n
railways, others that II IL a question
Of the efficiency OF business men an
chemists. Both assertions are true
; French soldiers nave been astonishe
nv the skill and rapidly with which tn
. Germans have built trenches and for
tiHCat'ons In the organization OF the.
t aviation service. motor cars subma
: rines. heavy artillery and ahundanc
OF munitions the Germans have re
themselves to prepare for tho grea
trial Of strength, They have built wit
a rapidtty most ~disconcert.ng 10 tho!
enemies railways N France. RelGiur
and Poland 10 unite and coordinat
their extended military lines; the
. are exploiting with success the mine
and industrial esources Of the coun
Try which they occupy, especially IN
Industries most useful 20 them, sue
as steel works. sugar renneries. smel'
$ ers and furnaces In ALI these way
tiey have manifested n worderft
! power of adapting themselves to cir
oumstances. They employ all IN
achievements Of modern science, |
Y electricity. chemistry, explosives, aerit
$ ana submarine navigation. with unre
. laN.ng method.
= The Allies have had 10 ADM, the,
, !nfcrior.ty IN technical preparedness
. and take Measure to rectify the mis-
take, The task Is now being measure
with due care by France and Russl;
I In Italy the same state ~ things va
t apparent from the start Of the wa
due 10 the same causes OF unCDrtaiut,
surprise and want of knowlods'