Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-04-26
PRESIDENT ADVISES STUDENTS
Looks Favorably upon Reserve
Officers Training Camp.
Would Have Upper Classmen In Arts
and Engineering Enroll There, stu
dents in Medicine and Agricul-
ture Continuing studies.

Every male student in the Junior and
senior classes Of the colleges of arts and
sciences and of engineering at the Uni
versity of Vermont was advised by Presi-
dent Guy Potter Benton Friday to
enroll for the reserve officers training
camp. which will be established by the
national government at Fort Ethan Allen
on May I. The students in the medical
and agricultural colleges were counseled
to show equal patriotism by continuing
their studies, as it Is felt that they will
be more valuable to the nation when they
will have completed their courses than
by leaving the university at the present
time. All students attending the camp
will be given credit for the years work
in all subjects In which they are doing
satisfactory work at present, as will the
students who enter any branch of the
national service. The medical college will
remain open during the summer months,
but whethers or not. this course will be
pursued in regard to the agricultural COL
lege has not vet been decided.
The course Of instruction at the camp
will cover "a period Of three months. Dur
ing the first month the men will be divided
into fifteen companies of about go men
each. and a preliminary instruction In
the rudiments of infantry drill will be
given. The second and third months will
be given over to advanced training in
whatever branch the men may select
During this latter period there will he
nine companies of infantry, two or three
troops of cavalry and two or three bat
teries Of field artillery. At the end of
the three months fifty men will be selected
from each unit and these will officer the
regiments of volunteers which will be
raised. To be eligible for the camp each
student must be 20 years and months
old and must pass a physical examina-
ton.
No pay will be given to those students
who attend the camp but they will be
| furnished with their subsistence while
at the camp, and will be allowed actual
| travelling expenses to Fort Ethan Allen.
| Upon completion OF the course Of in
! struction those who are commissioned will
| receive the same pay as a regular Of
| ficer of the corresponding grade. All
| men who enter the camp will have an
! equal chance for promotion and the rank
\ that they attain will be based solely upon
! their actual showing while at the camp.
| The camp will be composed of students
| from all of the colleges in New England
as well as members of the officers reserve
corps. The University of Vermont will be
represented by about $50 men. The total
attendance at the camp will not exceed
$500 Immediately following this first
camp a second one will be established and
these will continue probably as long as
| the war lasts.
! President Benton said that he felt
that the time for the students Of the
university to act had come and that as
members of a land grant college that they
should be among the first to enroll for the
camp. He pointed out it was equally pa
| triotic for the medical and Agricultural
students to remain in college.