Evening journal., 1917-12-04
Officers Training Camps
Should be Continued

every three months7 Why should not
these officers schools be continued Tor
the period OF the war; /
The three months training period |
adopted In the present camps was
merely an emergency measure. We're u
possible to train officers for six, nine
or more months, II Is obvious they
would be that much more efficient. II
no vacancy as ofllcer existed for a good
man trainine at the completion OF three
months, why not let him get lurther
Instruction. Only continuing schools
will guarantee a steady flow OF trained
officers. In Great Britain the Official
reports show Jnlcer casualties alone al
the rate Of 1000 a week or o2,OOO
year At times these are o1ten eA-
ceeded.
It Is not des rable to allow civilians
10 enter ofhcers' training camps al the
sacrifice, in any way, OF enlisted men
The policy announced by the war De-
partment Of promoting men IN the
ranks is TO be highly commenced ana
appeals favorably TO everyone. Such
policy increases the morale or the
troops enormously and makes Tor oe-
mocratization in the service. AT tne
same time, the draft only applies 10
men under thirty years OF age. General
Pershing testified TO The value OF the
Reserve officers in France-all men VINO
graduated from the Oncers' Training
Camps, as follows:
II want TO mention particularly the
young Reserve Officers who have been
arriving in France to continue their In
struction Their character intelligence
and eagerness prove how thoroughly
we're tho methods Of the Onlcers' Train
ing Camps at home. French officers are
enthusiastic about them. We have
every reason TO be proud OF them
All regular officers in the canton
, ments and camps have praised equally
highly, and even higher, the fine quail
lty Of these civilian officers.
> The present Offloers' Training Camps
have shown the very great value as
officers Of men beyond the draft age,
In order, therefore, to get the largest
, number Of officers trained from the
best sources Of the country, future
officers schools should be opened not
b only TO enlisted men. but to civilians
at large, subject, Of course, to suitable
, selection and regulations. 1t could
hardly be expected that a professional
man. for instance, or a prominent ano
executive business man, from 80 to 40
z making a good many thousands Of dol
3 lars a year and with the responsiblli-
Z ties entailed by his position, who de-
y sires 10 enter the Army should enlisl
as a private. That would appear 10 b'
y an economic waste OF such a man
r training and capacity. The present Of
= Ulcers camps, made up OF older men
?. are said TO be, by their Commancln'
Ofncers. superior even TO the h"s
G camps. fine as they were, and indee'
:, the best lot of men these oince,s nav
Il ever been in contact with. While mum
bers of civilians have gone into tn
p service, there are unquestionably thou
= sands and tens Of thousands OF excel
> lent officer material who are waitin
20 only for the call from the Governmer
h TO respond, and who feel that as tn
re war becomes longer in duration the
go will be ready cheerfully 20 join th
10 colors. Tens Of thousands Of men wei
u unable TO get into the flrst and secor
~ officers camps because OF lack OF a.
10 commodation. These men are availab
\. for the future.
II0' The Advisory Committee Of Unive
IL sitv and College Presidents on Mllltal
uo Training Camps consists Of the tolloN
ing:
rS President George H. Denny, Unive
Us sity Of Alabama; President Henry
g Drinker, Lehigh University lSecretar
Dc Presidents Advisory Board); Preside
= Livingston Farrand, University Of Col
De rado; President John II. Finley, Unive
ay sity OF the state Of New York, al
'lss Commissioner Of Education, N. J
ol President H. A. Garfield, Willoms' CO
~ lege; President Arthur Twining Ha
~ ley, Yale University; President John
~ Hibben, Princeton University lC1al
no man Presidents Advisory Board
u President A. C. Humphreys, Stever
u. Institute OF Technology; President
10 10 B Hutchns, University Of Michiga
lvo ~, President Edmund J. James, Uniyersi
~ ~ Of Illinois; Chancellor ]. II. Kirklan
~. Vanderbilt University; President
~, Lawrence Lowell. Harvard Universit
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