The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-23
Training, More Training, Their
Great Need, He Asserts.
new SCHOOL IN FRANCE NOW
Men Who Need Special Train
ing Are the Students.
Some Men VIII Be Put on the
French Farms.
BY HENRY ]. ALLEN.

the American statesman, who two
years ago uttered that cheerful idioey
about "a million men springing to
arms over night" could have seen
what 1 witnessed in a certain Ameri-
can training camp over here recently.
wish he could have seen some of
them trying to spring to arms.
1t was in a special camp under the
direction of the orthopedic branch of
the American army organized to re-
tain a lot of Americans who had been
discarded, after arriving with their
division, because they couldn't meet
the first requirements of a soldiers
life. They didn't know how to stand.
walk. run or hop and when they Shout
dered a pack weighing seventy pounds
and started on a test march of fifteen
or twenty miles they came home in an
ambulance. otherwise they were
perfectly good soldiers, barring the
fact they did not know how to fire
rifles, put on gas masks or attack with
bayonets. OF course they could learn
they must know how to stand and
march.
Many Helpless Men.
When one of the divisions composed
of men from eastern states arrived it
was found II per cent of them could
not meet the tests. They were the
ordinary American youths who never
had been taught anything about the
care or development of their bodies;
| they had never had training in physi
| cal endurance. They did not even
know how helpless they were until
real tests came. They were good ex-
amples of American boys who had CIV
en- no thought whatsoever to the sub
| ject of physical well being. tho some
of them could play golf all day. When
they fell out in the test marches there
was no provision for giving them a
second chance. They already had I'M
dergone some training in environments
at home. tho not as prolonged and in
tensive as is now going on. The army
under its ancient rules had only two
elassifications, those fit for combat
men and those who were not II they
we're not fit they had to go home.
| Therefore II per cent of this division
| were scheduled for return, unfit to be
soldiers. They were fine spirited young
chaps who belonged to the million
springing to arms over night class.
They were volunteers, but they could
mt march and carry they own equip
ment.
Then an orthopedist looked them
over and said he believed he could
save many for first line service and
make effective soldiers out of most of
the remainder. He thought nothing
was the matter with many of them
except lack of intelligent physical
functioning and proper shoes.
Shoes Too Small.
1t was discovered then that most OF
the men had been allowed to buy
their own shoes, and had chosen sizes
, too small. They did not realize q
man weighted down with seventy
pounds of equipment must have room
for his feet to spread. The ortho.
pedist suggested to the army a re-
classification of fitness into four in.
stead of two classes. This was &C
copied. Glass A includes all fit fol
combat, Glass B all who, while moi
lust fit for combat can act as trucl
. | drivers, army transport drivers ant
in other activities. They would do
as we'll at that as any one and ever,
, Glass 3 man thus employed woult
, save a combat man for the line
Those not fitted for that service
, could go to Glass c for work il
clerical positions in headquarters OF
fees or for farms.
One of the big inspiring things owe
here is the agricultural preparation
millions of tons of shipping next yea
by producing over here under gu
own agriculture, food for the army
and to 90 this on a sufficient seal
tractors and other modern farm ma
chinery are arriving, and plans 70
soldier are going forward on tn
jump in many places. The beautifu
little patches of cultivation whlc
once made a French valley look Xix
a quilt of many colors will soon b
great fields of wheat.
Re-Educate Men.
The orthopedist. who examined ii
IT per cent of discarded from this or
division established four months ae
lre-education of all men who failed
meet the test under the intensifie
army training. The day I visited II
school they were graduating a class
one hundred men into the combat d
vision. They would be going back
a few days to their regiments wit
their heads up. their shoulde
straight, pride and gratitude back in
their stout American hearts, and the
feet in suitable shoes.
All over the place men in variol
stages of development were being tr1t
out One class had just come in, Guile
from a new division. They were Gale
lame ducks" They were out on
IN river bank tumbling about, throwiI
s. medicine ball, going thru setting !
ne exercises and all sorts of stunts. II
l wise army surgeon watching them sa
rs rs whether they get into Class A or n
III they will at least know how to star
a. straight when they get back HON
OF just now they are no good from Il
III Shoulders down" Yet these men hs
lg. once been supposed to be fit. and the
w was little about them to indicate tn
W. would crack under strain.
is ! Out in another field class farth
tn along was charging across meade
d. goose stepping back, wheeling in &C
ed umns of tours and getting hard
N, iron When a man lost his endu
o. ance within a prescribed time he sto'
eft dSlue Aoi tueui SN1 - =
to ultimate class On plateau far fro
n the valley a company of men hi
IL climbed the steep hill and were goil
IN e., q ha1,onat drill rudar Rriti
u -----.ei.:-- -
~ sergeant hndJor' re pieSeiieiiS Sraes
or the greatest teachers in the Britt
Is army. He was rushing them at ca
O.; other with bayonets sheathed
~ iwooden scabbards and saying, Wat
his eyes, watch his eyes; rememb,