Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-07
LEARNING TO WORK. I.-War Schools
By
Frederic J. Haskin

One of the first needs it out to fill was that
for trained radio operators. The signal corps
needed $4,000 of them, and they were nowhere. TO
be found. Accordingly it turned to the board for
advice The board got into communication
with leading schools III the state which had formed
state boards to cooperate with the federal board,
and suggested that these schools open evening
classes at which subject to the draft might
learn the business Of radiO-teegraphy. The
Spouse both from the schools and from the
prompt. There already between fifty
and hundred schools for radio-telegraphers in
operation. and about three THOUSAND men at
tending them, while the organization of these
ming schools is proceeding at rate which has
cOuraged the board TO make optimistic estimates,
which cannot yet be made public, to the number
of radio-telegraphers it can supply to the war de-
partment.
The success of this experiment has lifted the
board for vocational education into the position
of recognized part of the government
chinery. Secretary of War Baker has written let
ter to the heads of all his departments telling
them that this board is the department to which
they should refer their problems in the matter OF
trained men. And almost every department has
such problems. The quartermaster's corps for
ample, needs men trained in fifty different trades.
OF course, men trained in all >of these trades
found among the conscripts but they are not
found in the proportions needed. There too
many clerks for example, and not enough cooks.
Only by training men can the needs of the quarter
masters corps be filled. Hence it is than
probable that evening classes for drafted men in d
great many trades will soon be held in all the
principal cities of the country There will, OF
course be nothing compulsory about these classes.
But the drafted man who chooses to learn trade
will get pay, and have a more interesting
and important share in the work of war. Thus
radio operator instead of getting thirty dollars
month does ordinary private, receives from
fifty-one to efghty-one dollars month. He takes.
part in the interesting and difficult task of keeping
the army In communication with it's base. He is
not, however, relegated to safe place behind the
lines In stringing the wires which connect adj
vance positions with the base of operations he gets
all the thrills and danger that the most daring
could crave.
One of the latest branches of the war machine
to apply to the vocational board for help the
shipping board. Everyone knows that ships will
win the war;" and the trouble that we having
in getting them built. Now that the difficulty OF
deciding who is to supervise the job has been set
tied, there comes up the even more distressing
problem of who is going to do It. In a word, the
shipping board cannot get the labor 1t needs 1t
is in special need of ship-riveters There lots
of riveters in the country who have been trained
in rveting the structural iron used in large build
ings but the structural work requires different
method Of riveting from that used in building
ships, and this difference of method means that
structural riveters cannot generally be put ship
work without special training. The
tional board has tackled this problem by putting
into the field agent which is to gather all posi-
BILE data. He will find out how many riveters
trained in building work are available, and what
additional training they will require to make them
useful in shipbuildng. Then the board will pro-
coed to the organization of schools where the train
ing be applied.
The drafted man who wants to serve HIS coun-
try in a trained capacity should keep in touch with
the superintendent of evening schools in his city,
or in the large city nearest his home. Even though
no may be offered which to fit his apt
tudes, such course may be offered before he Is
called. This is his opportunity to learn something
out war besides the art of killing to serve with
his brain well as his body.