Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-02-24
lAUDtD BY EDITOR
REPEATS REMARK MADE TO
HIM BY HOWARD WHEELER,
EDITOR OF EvERYBODY'S MAG
Az,NE, LAup,NG OTTAWA AND
ITS PEOPLE.

Ottawa, its high school and its mil
jtary cadets. were enthusiastically
lauded by Capt e. z. Steever, of the
U. S. A., last evening when he dellv-
cred an address on military training
in the auditorium of the new school.
"A few months ago, said Capt.
stecyer, II was talking to Howard
Wheeler, editor of Everybody's Maya
zine He said to me
DO you know Captain Stccver.
what think is the best little city in
the United States?
It's Ottawa, Illinois. It has a
real school, real American boys and
has real principal he replied in
answer to his own Interrogation.
In explanation Capt Steever said
he and Mr.. Wheeler were talking
about the training of American youths
for service under the flag by teach
ing them military matters, while they
still were students in high schools.
"Ottawas Initiative in this import
ant matter Is an example that all 9TH
or schools in Illinois should emul-
ate. BY taking the first step you peo
pie have paved the way as pioneers,
to make school military training an
universal affair
"Out In Cheyenne. Wyoming, where
military training in high school has
been part OF the curriculum for five
years, they take a great interest in
"wnr pames,". he said. We had an
uphill fight to secure recognition With
the paciflst element. but we finally
won out We had fifteen boys to form
our company and want to tell you
they were an enthusiastic crowd of
Youngsters. They entered into the
spirit OF the thing with a vigor and
vim that insured its success. After
while the mothers and fathers be
came accustomed to the innovation
and 1t was not long before the com
pany grew to healthy proportions fin
ally becoming a permanent fixture
in the schools life.
1--WE arranged our training in such
way as to make the military com
pany contributory to all athletics. by
making better soldiers of the men VIC
found We we're able to make better
athletes, OF them Cheyenne grew from
school Of common athletic achieve
mcnts to ono Of first rank under th'
military regime. We developed TIN
boys, made men of them, and thel
were better and moro thorO porfrOm
ers upon, the track, baseball diamond
grid from and basket ball field.
I'VE play the military game in al
our work., Next May or June we ar
going to have competitive review il
Chicago with schools from all parts, @
the country entered We want 20
to send your Ottawa company, or con
panies and enter them in these cor
tests.
Captain Steever then explained ho'
tho competitions were conducted an
how Judges decided the points an
scored the marks for the various el
tries.
Presentation Of wooden guns to tn
cadets instead of regular army rifle
was diagnosed as a hopeless cause b
Captain Steovcr You can't give
red bloodod Amerca' boy o stick an
try to convince hin y Is carrying
real weapon You cot to play ia
with him. aato
Later In the evening Captain Stee
err presented the officers with the
insigniaa Of rank. He comrljmentt
Battalion, Leader ,Iaothrop Follett +
tho Important part he had played
recruiting his oompanys ard buildii
them unto their present strength. ~
presentation Of the shoulder bars al
cheverans was pretty little 'ceI
mony In which two school girls M |
Dorothy Relior and Miss Emily n
mer-served as sponsors and fasten
the insignias on the boys shoulder
III The girls wero garbed as red cro
nurses and were part of a corps
nurses who were dressed entirely
white with red crosses on their VIII
caps, and who occupied front sci
during the meeting.
Pcrcocnt Rotary Flag
The exercises primarily were HI
10 receive the handsome silk flag p