New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-25
MILITARY DRILL IN SCHOOLS
OF Little Value and Disc,uragement to
Real Training.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Military drill in the schools, in The
sense OF the manual Of arm. and the scheol
of the company. would be failure as farn
training for real military efficiency is cot
cerned.
No European nation, not even the NOS
military. has is in the schools. Switzerland
gives the older pupils rife shooting but does
not bother with the sort Of drill that 70
many of our unthinking enthusiasts want to
put in our schools. The manual Of arms,
the school Of the soldier, squad and company
are learned by recruits in from four to SIX
weeks, so military men tell US. Why should
we condemn our schoolboys to this monet
onous close order formation, day after day
GEAR after year, in addition 20 an slready
long school day? A bill at Albany calls iOr
three hours a week of military training io'
boys over fifteen in our high schools. II
this military training" means tin solder
drilling it is decidedly bad. II il means
chiefly physical training it is excellent, ou'
should De called this to avoid varying inter-
pretations By successive commissions a
charge.
The drill works against the very purpose
for which il is put in. The movements ss
very quickly learned and very soon beeon'
deadly monotonous, with the result that 'a'
boys become Disguised with everything MIL
tary and later have no desire TO enns'
the national guard. This is the TESTIMONY
of national guard officials OF Boston, wnsr
there is military drill in some OF the n's'
schools.
Such a drill would be waste OF tire w
large percentage OF our boys who eoud D,
pass the army medical examiners in esse
war. In 1915 but 20 per cent OF the .pP"
cants for the army were accepted, ana ".
Is per cent were accepted for the nav
Twenty per cent Of the boys in this sea's'
suffer from malnutrition, 20 per cent n,
eye defects, 10 per cent at least from u,
feet, ID per cent from adenoids and eniais'S
tonsils, all defects which would exclude 1--WE,
military service. Why should We sPe".
money teaching and eQuipping this mass !.
ineligibles, even if the drill were OF ~
real military value? 49,,
Let US have real military training, ~
arc bound TO make the boy prepare 70 ~.
our battles for US. Put him in mii'.Sr
camp in the summer where he VIII get se's,
soldering and learn how 70 take care
himself in the camp and field. as wen
master the manual of arms ard ma''", q,
tactics. Besides, it will be excellent iof ~
health and make him better citizen Is W
as q soldier. Also, put in our schools ~
number OF sub-tsrget rifles and let our w..
learn to shoot. Military men say tnat s''''
ing is 80 per cent of military training
In addition, let US give the boy On w
day of physical training, In when hs
get the stamina to stand modern wsli~
Skill in doing fright front into line" s ii
to nothing compared with he ao,i's Z
march all day or all night with 'o.S ~.
sixty pounds or so. The usefulness VI \.
modern soldier depends On his oeins -
to ride many hours in crowded cars Nd
miles in the darkness over muddy IA.
while half dead for want Of sleep. h,'
will often depend on his agility IN se''ans !,
or out of n trench, or In quick dropP".
cover. Strong, agile, enduring bodies a,
not be obtained by the manual OF ar
marching tactics. TON bho" -.
Chairman Department OF Physical irala'''
Commercial High School, Brooklyn
Brooklyn, April s, 1915.