Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-04-27
COLLEGE TO COOPERATE
Continued from Page y

farmers, who have the land and equip
ment, than through any cooperative
scheme, But the committee have also
in mind plan for food preservation in
the college kitchens, 1t has been sug-
gested that the old Hamlin Commons
might be used for this purpose,
When list of volunteers is secured,
it is expected that the men can easily
be placed through the county agents,
Forty percent of Middlebury students
come from farm homes and have had
experience in farm work, Many Of
them will make good helpers from the
first day,
Applications for enlistment already
received indicate that the plan will sue
coed, One football man will return to
farm he has managed three years
which was to lie practically idle this
year, and with the equipment already
there he is sure Of good crops, Several
will return to home farms where it had
been practically impossible to get help
to keep things going
The committee is planning to put in
some hard work and to keep at it all
summer and will be disappointed if
actual results are not accomplished.
Prof. Bonney chairman of the commit
tee, gave The Register the following
statement of the situation;
"The duty of the college in the
present national situation has been a
matter of very careful and thorough
consideration on the part of both trus-
tees and faculty. Middlebury has al
ways been patriotic, as the distinguished
record of its alumni in the Civil War
abundantly testifes. At this time also
we wish to do our full duty and to rem
der the utmost possible help to our
country. Our chief care at present is
to counsel and assist our students to
render service in the wisest way
"After very careful deiberation and
counsel with other institutions and with
public leaders, it seemed wise to both
faculty and trustees to apply to the
War Department for the establishment
of a unit of the federal reserve officers
training corps. This step was taken in
the belief that the greatest military
need of our country, need that college
men are peculiarly fitted to fill, is for
commissioned army officers to train and
lead the large army it is proposed to
raise.
"Our application is still pending, and
there is in training here a company of
approximately one hundred men. We
have secured military instructor from
Norwich University who will carry on
as far as possible the course Of study
prescribed by the War Department for
reserve training corps. Having before
US England mistake in hurrylng all its
best material into the front line at
once we are doing our best to prepare
our students for army positions COM
mensurate with their ability. Seniors
who take this work and attend the
special camps it is proposed to establish
during the summer should be able to Sc
cure commission in the near future.
1--WE believe that in general under
classmen cannot do better than to con-
tinue in college, taking the military in
struction we are able to provide, with
the expectation of qualifying for a
commission in the army. This is the
view taken strongly by the great major
ity of colleges, including such institu-
tons as Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth,
Bowdoin, etc.
mot all our thought has been given
to military training, however. The food
problem is receiving due consideration.
The undoubted Importance of this prob
lem combined with the fact that large
percent of our students come to us
from farms has impeled US to action
in this direction. Our committee on
Farm Cooperation is developing plans
that will enable Middlebury to serve
effectively in the food campaign. By
the aid of student labor the college is to
plant more crops than customary; if
needed on the home farm, students are
to be encouraged to go home to
work by granting them credits for
the rest of the semester; by the
same means boys who have no definite
plans for the summer are encouraged
to take up farm work under the super
vision of the committee on Farm Co
operation: under direction of the depart
ments Of Chemistry and Home Econo-
mics in connection with tho office of the
county agent, there is projected a
county campaign of education on food
conservation. We wish to do all we
can in every way possible to help solve
the food problem.
'rIba C,1ao+iOr, DC 70 hOu, ooob ct,,Jopt