Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-02-16
CENT. NICHOL SPEAKS
Several Hundred Parents of Pupils
of Alexandria High School
Present

Several hundred parents OF STUD,
ents of the Alexandria High schooi
heard stirring address at the
westminster Building last night by
Cen E. W.. Nichol, superintendent
Of the Virginia Military Institute on
the subject of military training IN
the high schools and preparedness
of the United States to resist lnVa-
sion.
The meeting was held in the IN
terest of, the organization in the high
! school of military company. Conrad
Johnson, principal of the school, pres
sided.
! MIR Johnson told of the plans for
the company, which have been APP
proved by the school trustees and all
that was needed, he said, was the CO.
operation of the parents. An enlist
ment blank to be filled out by the boys
and endorsed by the parents, VIII be
sent out today and upon the returns
it will be seen whether or not ths'
company can organize. He said that
he hoped by, May Gath. to be aolc
to turn out a, company of 55 cadets
that would be pride to the COM
munity and would also tend to mahs
better citizenship. The entire cost TO
rhe parents would be SIS for each boy
and this expense would include the
purchase of a suit of clothing which
could be worn at all time. MIR. - Ohm
son presented to the audience James
Duncan accoutered in the uniform
such as proposed to have the cadets
wear and the audience heartily ap-
plauded.
Gen. Nichol in his address said that
he favored compulsory military train
ing for the boys of the United States
following their graduation from
school. This, he said, would be an
answer to the call for preparedness
and would do away with the necessity
Of a continental army as well as
big National guard.
Gen. Nichol gave a convincing re-
sumo of the results which could be
expected from military training, sum-
med up in the word discipline, physl-
cal-mental-moral. The following
he said were some of the results to
be obtained:
Prompt attention to duty.
Recognition of constituted authority
Improvement to carriage and meth
cd of holding oneself and in walking,
Care of body, breathing, neatness.
hygiene, sanitation, rules of health.
Courtesy.
Obedience.
First Aid to the injured.
. Manuel of arms, shooting, wood
craft.
Field sketching, map drawing, use
of the compass.
Democracy, every boy in the same
dress, standing upon his own merits.
Love of Gods great out-of-doors,
by marching, camping, etc.
Coordination of faculties.
Attention, concentration, readiness,
tXactnesS accuracy.
! Gen. Nichol in his talk on prepar-
edness said that Germany had un-
doubtedly caused the present war;
that the United Statss had no friends
among the nations of the world and
that trouble was liable to come to
us at any time. He referred to the
war between the states and said that
if the north had been prepared the
war would not have lasted 6 months
and that if the south had been prepar-
ed they would have taken Washington,
secured recognition of the European
! powers and the result might have
! been very different.
Lieut.. Z. Z Steever, u. S. A de-
/ iivered an interesting address on mill
tary training in the high schools OK
/. planning how the work has been or
Il