The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-07-17
BOYS TRAINING
FOR FARM WORK
Intensive Work Planned at
Morgan Park for Bene-
fit of Youngsters

Chicago, July, 17.-Intensive mill
tary training along West Point lines
has been established at a training
camp which opened Monday at the
Morgan Park academy to prepare
high school boys to take the place of
regular army officers in directing
military training in American schools
at the beginning of the fall term.
The camp will be under the super
vision of Captain Frederick Kensel,
retired officer of the United States
marine corps who now is engaged in
recruiting. Instruction in the school
of the soldier. of the squad and the
company will be given the boys by
Richard Lee, sergeant major in the
Dragon Guards of London who saw
service for three years in the Eur
opean war and was invalided after
suffering from gas bombs on the
Somme.
More than one hundred boys from
cities and towns in the middle west
have applied for admittance to the
training camp which will continue for
month. Accommodations for about
two hundred have been prepared and
those in charge of the camp have ar
ranged instruction which will enable
those who successfully take the
course to command military COM
panies in their schools.
On the enrolment lists are the
names of boys from Illinois, Iowa,
Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, North
Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Behind the project are patriotic
business men who are financing the
camp in the belief that continuance
of military training in the public
schools is essential in the present
war.
Discussing the camp, Captain Ken
sci said: I'VE mean business at this
camp. West Point discipline will be
will be given the boys to learn the
rudiments of soldering. There will
be no guard house. If the boys have
to be disciplined, they do not belong
at the camp. They will have to stand
a rigid mental and physical exam
ination along the lines which obtain
in the marine corps. OF course they
will be permitted diversion but the
days will be we'll occupied with the
instruction which a soldier needs"
So far as possible the boys will be
given instruction in every activity of
a soldiers life. The days will be
busy from Q. m. to s. p. m. Setting
up exercises, and the manual of
arms will be first attacked and then
will come the school of the soldier,
the care of his equipment and arms.
Then the school of the squad and
how to command a company.
Sergeant major Lee will have
direct charge of the bayonet class
and the boys will have first hand
lessons from one who has exchanged
thrusts with the enemy on the battle
field. The scientific methods employ
ed in forming trench line will be ex-
planned in trenches dug in the camp
grounds. Physical examination OF
the applicants will be made by Major
Blech Of the Second Field Hospital
unit.
Hikes, at first limited to three miles
and later increasing TO fifteen miles
daily will be taken by the boys in
training to lead their comrades.
Guard mounting will be daily ex-
ercise and gallery practice to fam
fliarize the boys with the modern
army rifle will precede actual shoot
ing on the range. Principles Of sani-
tation, selection of camp site will
be studied and lectures on military
policy are to be given.
Each boys equipment at the camp
consists of:
Two olive drab shirts; two cotton
khaki breeches; one campaign hat;
one pair canvas leggings; one tan
leather belt; one pair high tan shoes,
and one army rife.
The camp Is being financed by a
group of business men who believe
that the value of military training of
school boys should not be lost
through the lack of army officers to
continue the training and have
evolved the training camp method to
equip high school boys to be the
future instructors of their mates
when The school year opens.