The sun., 1916-10-18
The "Mnitarist'' Laws OF New York.

Under this misleading caption the
Surrey prints in n recent issue q
protest against throwing the schools
open to compulsory training and
tightening the moose Of CONSUMPTION
around the neck Of every adult male
and 1t forecasts an organized move
ment for repeating these laws.
That this Is an view Is
obvious upon calm reading of the pro-
visions of these acts. The Welsh bill
provides that "nll children above the
age Of eight years, boys and girls
alike. In the elementary and second
ary schools, shall receive at least
twenty minutes physical training
each day" Nothing m%ilitaristic In this
law! Nor Is there anything mill
taristlc" in the Slater bill creating n
Military Training Commission. which
provides training In discipline "in or
der to more thoroughly and compre-
hensibly prepare the boys of the ele-
mentary and secondary schools for
the duties and obligations of citizen
ship" for which purpose "the rom
mission shall recommend from time
to time to the Board Of Regents the
establishment In such schools of hab.
its, customs and methods best adapted
to develop physical posture and bear
ing, mental and physical alertness,
s%clf-control, disciplined initiative.
sense Of duty and spirit of coopera-
ton under leadership"
The reader may now judge of the
distortion of the letter and meaning
Of the ''militaristic" laws. We pointed
out In recent comment upon the pro-
gramme adopted by the commission
the absence Of any military tinge.
Indeed. the title should have been
physical Training Commission" The
programme advised by Dr. FINLEY
and adopted by the commission is an
cpitomc of the most modern ideas ON
physical development OF the young.
Or. STOREY, who has been wisely
selected to carry into effect this pro.
gramme, Is not n military man; he
has held the chair of physical culture
in the City College for several years
with great credit and his appointment
was doubtless due to the recognition
Of his merits by Dr. finley during
his presidency Of that college.
The introduction Of the rules and
regulations of the programme of the
commissioner of Education into the
smaller schools, especially those In
the rural districts, will undoubtedly
result in all the benefits intended by
the net without the least appearance
Of militaristic faint.
Ir. FINLEY and the commission
doubtless are familiar with the fact
that in the public schools of Switzer-
land, the country whose ~'conScrip-
tlon" the most progressive advocates
Of prepa redness favor. military drill
Is not part Of instruction, although
volunteer cadet corps OF boys are
favored who are drilled In marching
AMI Il few exercises in the manual OF
arms. Even In schools devoted to pre-
pairing boys of 16 to 20 for military
organizations, attention Is given more
to gymnastics and shooting than to
drills and pnrades. Even Germany
confines preparation Of its prospective
soldiers to making them physically
capable when they are called upon to
do their regular army service. And
France, which in its eagerness after
the var Of 1870 to hasten military
preparedness introduced military
training into its public schools, has
abandoned the practice and awaits n
more advanced maturity of its boys.
These facts doubtless moved Or. FIN
LEY to write In his statement To the
commission that military training
would become part of n later pro-
gramme outside of the schools.
A'"' ~ '"'ttU" HuTSn CTlllClSIn
Of the New York laws is not justified
may he demonstrated by the actual
fact that the moose of conscriptiOn''
Is not yet In evidence, despite the ex.
istence Of many schools for military
training In this country for seventy.
1ve years. The Virginia Military In
stitute has sent thousands of splendid
young men into civil life. ms have the
Citadel OF Charleston, s. C., since
1912 and the Kentucky Military In
stitute since 1S45. That the trimming
OF these boys inculcates correct pos
ture and bearing, mental and phys.
ical alertness, se~lf.contrOl, disciplined
initiative, high sense OF duty and
honor and cooperation under leader.
ship, inuring to the welfare OF the
country, their achievements as men
IN peace and war testify incontro- !
vertibly. That their military trimming
evolved nothing of mllitnrism Is eyl.
dent from the fact TINT after serving
their States more efficiently In war
than their fellow citizens, they re-.
turned, like CINCINNATUs. to their
civilian occupations with alacrity and
proved In defeat that honor and IN.
trlotism were nurtursd by their mill.