Evening star., 1917-10-07
Military
Training.

of the movement in
each particular instance. certain sim
ilarity of origin and organization of
these movements may be observed. ac-
| cording to experts of our bureau of
education. who have recently looked
very carefully into this matter as be-
ing of special interest to educators of
the United States at this time.
In most cases it was found that the
source of the movement could be traced
to the department of war assisted by
the department of education and pa
triotic organizations of citizens. Where
military instruction is not an obliga-
tory part of the public school curricuia.
it is promoted in the form of student
organizations under the leadership of
patriotic clubs and aided by govern
ment grants and by the lease of gov
ernment property. In those countries
where the governments are not direct
ly active in this work it often arises
spontaneously, it was found. under the
guise of semi military clubs.
AS a result of the study made by our
experts 1t was found that military in
structton. of the exact nature and to
the same extent as that given to SOL
any country of Europe except the spe-
cial military schools. Such training is
confined everywhere to- the period of
active service, and no attempt has ever
the task of producing fully trained
soldiers. In many countries having
universal military service the public
schools provide for training boys in
such elements of military science as
may be conveniently combined with
their physica! training and at the same
time prepare them for the active serv-
| ice awaiting every young man.
The attitude of foreign educators, it
was found, is well defined on this mat
They 81
military instruction as successful
substitute for the we'll established sys-
TENS of physical training and char
acter building They generally view it
as an anomaly in the school system,
justified only by the eXigencies of ma
tional defense. The enthusiastic sup
port they lend to this work comes more
from patriotic rather than from peda-
gogic motives. according to those ex-
perts who have Just completed this
study. Occasionally. however the ben
eficial effects of military training upon
the moral and physical sides of boys
marked results of this nature have
been observed in Australia.
In France whore military training is a
component part of the prescribed program
OF public primary schools it is not ap,
proved by leading educators as a method
of physical training. but it is recognized
and commended as preparatory training
FOR military "eryice. intended to raise the
einclency ol the frehch army. Inc pro-
~raIns OF public schools in France include
gymnastics and moral instruction. the for
r0er as a means of building up the ply
siGue of the boys and the latter of de-
vc'nping their character, 1t is generally
recognized that these two objects of edu-
cation cannot be perfectly attained by any
system Of military training.
IT is a significant feature of all mill
-aristic movements affecting the schools
that they appear wherever and whenever
'n3ciai reed e felt for raising the stand
ard of the military preparedness of the
nation. In France the movement was
started after the disastrous war of 1870
and revived after the reduction of the term
of active service in 1905. In Austria in
tansive military work in the schools was
launched after q similar reduction of the
-nrn of service. In Switzerland and Aus
.ralil II accompanied the lnToduction of