The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-29
MILITARY TRAINING IN
SCHOOLS
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATIOE BUREAU
By Frederic j. Haskin. Director.
Washington, ID. c.

time ago a large majority announced
themselves in favor of it, whereas two
years ago it would have been impoS-
sibIe TO find more than one or two as
Senting voices.
There is still a great deal of differ
ence of opinion on the question, but
the consensus seems to be that extern
sive armament is the most efficient
guardian of peace. War eXpertS-a
term which includes everybody of
course-never cease reminding US that
if England had been prepared, if
France had been prepared, or even if
the United States had been prepared,
there would have been no war; at
least, not much of a war, anyway.
Now the United States bureau of edu-
cation has just issued a report which
shows the various degrees of pre-
paredness in which the principal E,u-
ropean belligerents found themselves
at the beginning of the war, and
leaves you to draw your own conclu-
sions concerning the advisa bility of
school military training.
After the Boer war there was an at
tempt to introduce military training
into the public schools of England,
but the whole country opposed it SO
violently that it failed. Such training
in England has neN er been popular,
altho, from time to time various vol
untary organizations of military
character have been formed. Most
permanent among these is the Eng
lish cadet corps, which is we'll known
and constitutes a model for similar
cadet corps in this country. This
corps, according to the bureau of edu-
cation, was founded in 1860. and in
the course of a few years spread rap
idly turnout the country. Its value
was illustrated in the present war
when it was observed that a sur
prisingly large number of young men
in Kit Chiver's army had had previous
military drill in cadet corps. which
proved of great advantage Sin their
hurried preparation for active service"
Since the war, as I'm this country,
new interest in such training has been
evidenced in England Battalions of
small boys, without uniforms, some
times without rifles, have been Drilled
in various parts of the country; they
have been taught to shoot targets with
small caliber rifles, and they have
been taken camping in order that they
might become hardened to the vicis-
STUDIES of outdoor life. In other
words Great Britain is now training
it's little boys to be soldiers.
Pointers from Australia.
Australia, aItho only a colony of
Great Britain, is able to give the
mother country many valuable point
ers on the military training of school
boys There such training is part OF
the system of national defense. Aus
tralia has compulsory military serV-
ice, which is divided into three per-
iods From twelve to fourteen, the
Australian is a Junior cadet; from
fourteen to eighteen he is senior ca
Diet, and from eight to twenty-six he
is a member of the citizen force.
AS a junior cadet, the small Aus
tralian must do certain calisthen1cs
for fifteen minutes each day and then
go thru an elementary marching drill
He is also taught to shoot. swim, run,
give first aid, and, in schools in naval
training areas, the complexities OF the
mariners compass and signalling
After he has done all these things for
two years he is ready to become a
senior cadet and registers for that
purpose. Australia demands the reg
istration of every male at the age of
IA. The senior cadet simply consists
of drills-forty of them a year
which include marching, handling of
arms, mus<etry, physical drill, first
aid, guards, sentries, tactical training
as a company in elem entary field work
and elementary battalion drill. Dis
cipline is strongly inculcated. At the
end of his fourth year, the senior
cadet passes into his period of adult
service, being assigned to that branch
which he prefers, or for which he is
peculiarly adaPled. The Australian
makes a splendid soldier.
OdIttua
Canada, that other giant child of
Great Britain, also has an eXtremely
efficient system of military training
for boys, altho it is not obligatory. In
the majority of the provinces, physi-
cal training, including the military
drill, is a prescribed subject in all
primary schools. Besides this, there
is the Strathcona fund. This is a fund
of 100000, bequeathed by Lord
Strathcona, for the purpose of pro-
/ noting physical culture, military
training and rifle practice in the
schools of Canada. The interest from
the fund is annually divided among
various local committees thruout
| Canada, which distribute it among the
| provinces. Under these two sprovi-
sions Canada has greatly promoted its
military efficiency, as has been dem
onstrated only recently in Europe.
! In France military training has been
part of the eurricula of the public
schools ever since shortly after the
Franco-Prussian war. The report of
| the bureau of education says that the
| school battaEons We're composed of
! boys over II years of age, whose fit
| ness for receiving military instruction
had been attested by a commission
consisting of two officers designated
| by military authorities and a school
| inspector. The instructors were sup
| piled from the army, and the govern
tment presented flags as rewards to the
| battalions that made the greatest
progress. Drilling and target-shooting
were the principal features of the
course. This was up until 1856. After
| that, interest in military training
waned, the school battalions disband-
ed. but the idea lived and was fostered
| by Union des societies de preparation
militarie de France" This society has
built up large youthful military or
| EaniZation in connection with the
schools in recent years, with the aid
| of a certificate which is presented to
every boy who successfully passes his
military course. The certificate OBJ
tains for him certain privileges when
the time comes for him to enter the
national army.
| Whether this extensive military
training has made the French soldier
any more efficient than the American.
| who escaped such training in his