The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-10-10
n French View of It's Importance to
War Preparedness.


1t is essential at a time like this that
the lessons of the fighting in Europe
should influence more actively than
usual our own plans as to the grave
business of war. I'm this war. said NJ
Astier lately in the French senate. it
Is before all things necessary to see
the events of the past in right perspec-
tive. 1t is only just to recognize that
the German organization. industrial.
scientific and military, has on the
whole worked admirably. Largely
the German success is due to foresight
In the last II years Germany has been
modelling two great armies, technical
and military, on a scale never before
imagined. The tremendous issues of
the war hang upon the efficiency of
skilled workers in factories, of special
lists i'll munition plants and laboratories
of chemistry and explosives. All that
we have heard of encounters between
Germans and Russians, between Turks
and English, between French and Ger
mans IS, in a purely scientific sense,
merely the outcome of lessons, and the
work of experts formed in schools of
technology.
The debate on the subject III the
French senate and chamber of deputies
was very impressive. NJ. Buisson said
that scarcely 10 per cent of the lads
and young women at work in French
factopeS were receiving an ADEQUATE
technical education. NJ Paul Strauss
assured the chamber that this was true
and NJ. Asticr in his speech gave flo
ureS which indicated serious economic
weakness. There is profound contrast
between the numbers and output OF
technical schools in Germany and the
numbers and output of technical
schools in France. A single glance al
| the tgures shows the contrast clearly
| There are, for example, beyond tn,
| Rhine II high schools of technoIog,
with 10000 regular pupils, six higl
schools of commerce with 1000 stu
dents, while France has in its higl
schools of technology and commerc,
| only 5000. In the matter of secondar,
schools the strong front of Germany i
everywhere shown, and the relative
weakness of France appears more de
| eldedly. Altogether Germany has "a
industrial schools with $4,000 pupils
50 schools of business with 1000 stu
| dents, whereas France has but 81,
schools of arts and crafts with $50
pupils. With respect to primar,
schools the contrast is still more strik
ing. In 1902 Germany had 2,l13 school
of mechanical training with 100000
pupils, and 800 schools of commercial
training with 10000. France has excel
lent schools of this kind at Nantes
Vlerzon, Voiron, Besancon and Pari,
but the number of schools does not cy
jceed fifty or sixty thousand. The mum
Der OF these schools i'll Germany i
1902 was 100000. NJ Astier conclude
with a general statistic. In France 80
300 boys and girls are receiving ORC
fessional education in special school,
that is trade and business schools bu
IN Germany the number is far more cor
siderable; in one year the number O
scholars in purely technical school
reached 100000. This was in 1902. Tn
present number must be much greater
The result of the debate was tina
the French government very wisely d,
elded to set up a system of schools fo
the spreading of sound education i
trades, business and technology. TIL
tremendous issues are hanging in til
balance. They are: How to furnis
technical instruction for BOYS an
girls, how to restore the deplete
ranks of skilled soldiers and worl
ers, and how to teach soldiers maine
land mutilated in battle a trade usefl