Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-25

tricts of the nation which would tend
to do wonders in the way of establish
ing "a citizenry trained to arms"
Representative Scott says he has
been receiving numerous inquiries
from public school authorities
throughout Pennsylvania and that
there are movements already under
way in certain school districts for the
organization OF cadet corps i'm the
high schools. He contends that it is
not alone for the instruction of mill
tary tactics that the school authori-
ties and the general public is becom-
ing interested, but also for the rea-
son that it is recognized that such
training is of material benefit to the
youth in teaching obedience and other
desirable moral qualities, besides fur
nishing excellent opportunities from a
calisthenic standpoint.
Many of the Pennsylvania represen-
tatives in Congress have been viewing
with considerable interest the trend
towards such training of late by both
citizen and school authorities in this
State, and practically every member
has received communications relative
to what encouragement might be of
fered by the government in the way of
equipment and instructors for the
cadet corps
School authorities are notoriously
conservative when it comes to changes
in the cut-and-dried school system,
and that is probably one of the rea-
sons why objection has been raised in
some quarters to the organization of
cadet corps in connection with the
public schools of the country. An
other reason is the activity of the
peace at any price" agencies. But
there yet remains to be raised one
we'll supported objection to system
of voluntary military drill in the
schools.
For many years, ever since their
foundation, indeed, our schools have
been devoted to the notion that they
have no other function than that of
mind training, with a little moral
training thrown in to leaven the loaf.
They have, to a very large degree, ne
elected the physical side of the work
entrusted 10 them. They teach ply
siology, it is true, but they fail to put
the text into practice. Regardless of
the fact that the trained mind is but
a poor agent in a weak body, and that
modern efficiency demands a strong
body as well as a working brain, our
schools have been stumbling along the
old paths, placing emphasis only on
the mind and letting physical fitness
take care of itself. OF course, we have
athletics in our high schools and to
limited degree in the grammar schools.
but not for the masses. A premium
is placed on the expert in any particu
lar line of effort and upon the team.
Nothing is required of the individual
and the great majority receives no
benefit, while unquestionably some are
injured by participation in sports for
which they are not physically fitted.
Now, there is no better form of
exercise than that OF military drill.
1t brings out the best there is in a
boy. 1t squares his shoulders and it
broadens his chest. 1t disciplines both
mind and body, and heaven only
knows most of our high school boys
are sorely in need of both. So long
as military drill in the schools is
voluntary and places no burden on
the parent for uniform or equipment
it is difficult to see why anybody should
object to it. In the minds of some
who have viewed with ill-concealed
the failure of schools to
give attention to the physical side of
education it appears in the nature of
a godsend.