New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-11
A Rejected Candidate
Is College Degree Necessary to
Enter an Officers Training Campo

To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir. If YOU are not a college man. are you
dumb ignorant and untsught, incapable OF
comprehension? Lacking college education
can Won possibly have mind that moves As
quickly or be as keen Of perception as 'ne
Young man who has just been given the rign'
n tack A. B. after his name and whose
hardest work often has been TO decide when
course is the easiest SNAP?
feel have had an official answer TO these
questions and it is decidedly an adverse one
was an applicant for admission to the
officers training camp at Fort Myer Virginia
In The Tribune Of Friday there was an
editorial deploring the lack OF applicants
ranging in age from thirty to forty years
had felt could not make the sacrlhces "h'cn
would be necessary at this time II s"ou'u
onlist. hut after reading that editorial the
need appeared urgent. | filled out an appH-
decentralization, high school; military
training. none; age, 81 years; business po-
eition treasurer Flint & Horner Co., Inc;
secured nv three letters of recommendation
and entered the line at No. 10 West 44th
street. II was a long line and weary walt
Officers came down the line making prellm
mary examinations of the applicants ana
their papers. All men under twenty-five
,ears and those obviously unit were "eeueu
out. The officer examining my papers saio'
"You're only a high school man. You haven
much chance, but you can try it After -FOUR
hours in line reached the recruiting captain
He looked over my application, read the
letters. tore off the application, returned tne
letters. made a somewhat fippant reference
10 paragraph in one of them and passed me
out No argument.
don't like to be beaten, and didn't believe
was. Saturday Itried again, and not having
time to get new letters used the same ones.
In nv application | called the educatlonai
institution TO which | went an academy IN
stead of a high school. | was learning the
ropes. II was five and half hours IN line
this time, but worth it, At the desk was
lieutenant man with at least human
heart in him, for he gave us all chance TO
talk. His first question was, "hat Is the
standing of this school," Hit the keynote a1
once. | hadn't been through IT before LOT
nothing and answered, prep. school" Wnlch'
as a matter of fact was true, as coulu nave
entered Cornell on my diploma without ex-
aminations. I,
were over. Physically, knew was all rlght'
az was proved upon examination. Monday
re were sworn in and told 10 await notice
from the commanding officer. Everything
looked rosy.
IN Tuesday | happened TO meet the lieu
tenant who accepted me, and in answer TO his
inouirv il got through. told him had been
sworn in. but hadn't received notice to report.
Then came the old question: don't recall
arc vou a college man." mo" Military eX-
norience?" None" "Well, | wouldn't advise
Won 10 buy uniform until you get notice to
Torort and the notices have been sent out"
Although so sadly deficient in education, !
was able to grasp the significance of the ad-
vice. and that | didn't get notice was no
surprise.
have no doubt it would be Indignantly
denied by the powers that be if it should be
limited that there has been discrimination in
favor of the young college man as against the
man of only a good education, by far the
largest and most valuable part of which is
acquired after leaving school. But note the
sequence of the questions, and the emphasis
placed on the college education 1t would be
interesting to know how many men have been
sent 10 camp who have not college edu-
cation.
I wish particularly to say do not in any
way minimize the value of the brain train
ing a man gets at college, and believe sim
cerely every boy who can should avail him
self of such a training, but | do protest
! against what | am convinced is unreasonable
discrimination against the man who has not
been so fortunate but who has nevertheless
secured an excellent education and has had
successful business experience
New York, May 9, 1917. IVAN 0ST.