The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-17


that at least so, men were needed
by the farmers to insure the usual
production of crops, and the students
are going to supply some of this labor.
What is true of New York state is
true of the whole country, and prac-
tically all universities are now urging
the need of agricultural enlistment. In
talk made to the student body of
the University of Pennsylvania not
! long ago, the dean summed up the
situation as follows: We must not
make the same mistake England made
by sending men technically trained
and proficient to contribute in the pro-
! duction of food and goods into the
! army, and leave men who are ineffi-
cient in charge of such production.
One of the biggest jobs that the Unit
! ed States is to be called on to perfoEll
! is the supplying of food to itself and
! to its allies in Europe during the next
year. Herbert Hoover has pointed out
that unless the farmers of the United
States materially increase their plant
ings of foodstuffs, thousands in the
| United States and Europe will face ac-
/ tual starvation next year.
This agricultural preparedness prop
uganda has been eagerly taken up
| by the agricultural colleges of the
country, which are Offering their ser
vices to the government almost to a
man. The plan that has been worked
out in joint conference by the United
States Department of Agriculture and
the administrative officials of over a
/ hundred colleges is like this: The
students are to be divided into bat
tallonS of from five to fifty men
Each battalion will be in charge of a
! captain, who will be appointed in
! consideration of his experience, and
who will distribute his men among
various farmers of a particular sec
ton. The farmers pay good wages.
| they will take the young men into
4 their households and board them as
members of the family, but they will
| be expected to work. In the case that
any dispute arises between the far
mer and the student, the captain of
the battalion will be called upon to
settle it He will also report to the
university the progress of each of the
students under him.
With our wheat crop fifty million
| bushels short, the country is in des-
perate need of such agricultural as
sistance. 1t is not going to be easy
| for the students, and in many cases it
! is not going to be ideal for the far :
mers, but it may solve the problem.
| In favor of such enlistment it is sug
gested that the students wages will
! be clear profit and that life in the
open, with the physical exercise of
farming, will be good for him.
Students from some of the universe =
ties are already at work on farms in
some of the eastern states-nota bly,
| Nirginia--but the actual mobilization
| for the farms IS just beginning. About
June 10, the real work begins. Then
the students Will start harvesting in
southern Kansas, Oklahoma and the
| rest of the wheat-groWing regions of
| the Southwest. BY the middle of July
| they will be moved up into northern
/ Kansas and the DakotaS, where they
will complete their work by the latter
part of August or the beginning of
September.
! While this agricultural feature of
| college preparedness is gaining great
popularity with all college students, it
is only one of many equally popular
features. The University of Pennsyl-
vania, for example, has recently
! opened up a naval training course.
which has already recruited up to 1925
students. 1t is purely a student or
gaEiZation, having no connection with
! the government. The military courses
| given by the universities are super
vised by United States army officers,
| and occasionally government equip
ment in the form of rifles and wire
| less, is borrowed; in this case the
| only government property to be Dor
! rowed is naval officer. to be as
signed by the commandant of the
! fourth naval district, who will give
! lectures on navigation, seamanship,
ordnance and gunnery. AS yet, the
proper facilities are lacking in the
course, but the students themselves
are endeavoring to raise funds with
| which to purchase them.
At Princeton, aviation is popular
| Over two hundred students have an
nounced their intention of entering
this line of work. but of this number
only sixty have passed the strict
physical examination given to avia-
/
has been organized. The alumni of
the university have come forward
generously with the gift of two planes.
| their hangers land sufficient funds to
pay the expenses of the necessary me-
chanics and upkeep of the planes"
And Princeton is now flying.
Yale's contribution to preparedness
has recently caused a great deal of
CONSERVATION among the other univer-
Stiles In addition to Its military ac-
tivities, Yale announces thru various
President Taft, that its graduate re-
unions this year will be dry The
alumni feel that by establishing pro-
hibition at these celebrations they
will be setting a patriotic example to
the whole nation, which will be worth
| the sacrifice. If war demands the
elimination of alcohol in the United
States, as it did the adjustment in
| Russia, vale is with the United
| States.
In addition to the military activi-
ties of the students. the faculties of
the universities have also been quick
{ to extend their services, sand the use
of the college buildings and equip
ment, to the government. The Univer-
sity of California, for example, offers
its buildings at Berkeley, California,
as storehouses and laboratories of
war, while large farm in connection
with the college it offers as the head
quarters of regiment of cavalry.
Three regiments of men could be
trained o. the college grounds, the
President asserts, and the farm would
form the basis of a cavalry depot
Since the United States entered the
war, the suggestions of assistance of
fered by the nations schools and coll
leges have multiplied, until the War
Department is in confusion as to lust
what use should be made of them.
1t is known that the colleges of En-