New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-27
Board FavOrS WeiSh's Bill
for Physical Training
of Boys and Girls.
MILITARY ADVOCATES
LOSE BY TWO VOTES
Meeting Enlivened by Spirited
Wrangle Between General
Wingate and Churchill.

ness FLASHED yesterday al the meeting
OF the Board Of Education.
The disputed territory was the ques
ton Of whether or not the board should
60 on record as approving the Slater
BILL which provides for a military com
mission and compulsory training for
boys between sixteen and nineteen
years, and the Welsh bill, which pro-
yides physical training in the schools
for all children over eight years Of
age Both bills are awaiting Governor
Whitman's signature.
sheer militarism." cried the one
side
NO, it's muscular fitness" said the
other.
In the end the Slater bill lost by two
votes, and the Welsh bill passed, %
10 II.
General Wingate for Defence.
As the leader of the preparedness
forces General George W Wingate de
clared that the country stands to-day
exactly where it stood at the beginning
OF the Civil War He begged that the
young people OF the present might not
be handicapped by the lack OF military
training as he and the other young
men OF his time were handicapped
Thomas ". Churchill stood out against
both bills on the ground that they
brought into Troy a wooden horse
Full Of armed men"
Under the guse Of an orange we
are getting another fruit" he said.
Nobody can look askance at my ad
vice, which IS 10 90 slow. be sure what
you are doing. You are injecting the
question of militarism into the schools.
Now, I'm not against preparedness. !
don't think that any one -, even the
professional pacifists. Governor Whit
man is saturated with this idea of mill
tary training Remember, that only
two nations IN the world have military
trsining in the schools Japan and
part of Australia
How about Ireland ?" asked voice.
They don't need military training
They are born fighting said Nr.
Churchill. 81 am not against physical
training; in fact. prefer 1t 10 mental.
We have too much educating going on
above the neck and too little below.
We need red blood, rather than gray
matter. | am suspicious Of the Slater
bill Besides. II takes from US duties
and functions that we have always
had"
knew What He Talked About.
General Wngate rose and looked
about at his fellow members.
Unlike any one else IN this room,
know what am talking about at first
hand" he said. when | was boy.
nineteen years old. friend urged me
TO begin training, because he said that
there was going 10 be war. | laughed
at him. The result was that instead
OF doing what | ought to have been
able TO do to aid my country. | had TO
go "a a private. The last speaker will
excuse me for saying that he doesn't
know what he is talking about. We
must either have a system Of this kin !.
or large standing army"
Arthur ). Somers declared that both
were military bills, pure and simple.
The Welsh bill provides that the re-
must have conference with the mill
tary commission" he said. 81 am op-
posed TO teaching Dy the methods of
warfare. General Wiugate is not
alone in his Americanism. but the ro-
nance of youth must rot be destroyed"
John Greene said trat IL might be
horrible for young people TO think Of
the devastation abroad. but that there
WIS one thing worse the idea Of wear
ing yoke at home"
I'VE must not allow ourselves TO be
swept along by wave Of enthusiasm
for military training said DR.. Ira
Vile. I'VE should hesitate at this
time 20 give it our official sanction"
The Bills Explained.
John l.. Harrison further explained
the conditions of the bill to the mem
bers of the board. Senator Slster's
bill, he said. amends the military law
so that all boys from sixteen 10 nine
teen years old. in public and private
schools and colleges. shall receive mill
tary training for three hours a week
in term time, with field training in the
summer under national guard instruc-
tors. II is made optional for boys who
are working for their living. Assem-
NY man " tlrN plll dtltLuS lhe tuA
cation law so that both boys and girls
over eight years old shall receive dis
culinary and physical training in the
elementary schools. under the direc-
tion of regents, who must confer with
the military commission.
At this point the members called i'm
patiently for the question, and the roll
call revealed l. votes in favor Of the
Slater bill and 10 against L. There
were % affirmative votes FOR the Welsh
bill and 70 in the negative.
The board yesterday approved the
promotion and transfer Of almost 1000
teachers in "A and sB. matter which
will involve an additional expense OF
about 100000.
The Committee on Care Of Buildings
reported that it had looked into the
permit granted TO the Labor Forum 20
use the Washington Irving High School
auditorium. with special reference to
an insult 20 the American flag alleged
to have been offered there by a speaker
or April g. The evidence obtained was
overwhelmingly against the informs-
ton given out that the words ITO he'll
with the American flag had been used