The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-14
PERSH|NGG'SS 5 MEN l. .G|VENOPPORTUN|TY FOR MUCH STUDY Organization of Educational Classes and Lecture
 Courses Planned by
 Yale Men

l Paris. March 25.-tCorrespondence ot
 the Associated Press. )-Organizatio of I educational classes and lectures for the members of the American expedtionary forces has been undertaken by the army
 Young Mems Chrstiani association, with
 the approval and indorscment of General Pershing. Dr. Anson Phelps Stokes. ! secretary of Yale university. who is now ! in Paris, has obtained few months
 leave of absence in order to perfect the preliminary organization. Dr. Stokes
 has been studying the question of edu-
 cational opportunities in the army for two months
 The plan of work during the war is based on the conviction that the Amer i can soldier will be most efficient as a | fighting man if he understands thor ouahly the country in which he is living, l the cause for which he is fighting, the tremendous issues at stake between au l tocraey and demoeracyT and the institu- ticns and ideals of France. England and
 the allied nations.s as compared with those dominant today in Germany
 ] Dr. Stokes believes it to be a matter
 of vital importance that our troops
 should be able to understand. and make l themselves understood hyA the French people in whose villages they are hileted
 a nd the French soldiers with whom they
 are fighting This is calculated to pre-
 vent friction. increase efficiency and tend
 to create that united western front deemed essential to the successful prosi 1 ecution of the war. Consequently, em- phasis will be placed on the teaching of l French.
 | The assistance of teachers in French l schools and lycees in large towns near
 camps is counted upon for giving lessons | by the direct method, in which no Eng
 fish is used. Petit Dutaillis, director of
 the "Office National des Universities ct
 E,coles Franchises, represents a group
 of French educators who have gener-
 ously given much time to working out l this plan.
 1 Classes in elementary English to sol
 diers of foreign percentage, in mathemat- l ics for men preparing for promotion ex- { aminations, and lectures and classes oil i other subjects will also be introduced in camps as the demand arises and can : be met Attenance will be voluntary and classes will generally be held in the
 Young Mems Christian Association huts in the evening so as not to interfere with resular military duties.
 Lectures will be free while tho question
 of the payment of small fee for
 classes Wlll depends Iargeiy on whether or not professional teachers not connect ed with the army or the Young Men 3
 Christian association have to be em- ployed. American extension and corres-
 pordence courses will also be utilized.
 Professor Daly, head of the department
 of geology at Harvard university, and
 Professor Erskins of the department of
 English at Columbia university, both now
 in France as Young Mems Christian as- sociation secretaries, will be among the i first to assume the new teaching duties. l The organization for immediate wal service. will be arranged 80 that it can 1 be ex banded later to meet the larger de- mands of Rehabilitation. Tn this connec- tion a plan of operation is being worked out with French and British educational authorities which is expected to do much to meet this need.
 ! The Young Mems Christian association | has been officially recognized as an ! agency to be made use of for educational as well as recreational facilities for the army The organization has at it's dis l rosal 300 huts in American camps in l France. besides a number of rented build 1 ings and halls scattered throughout the ltowns where troops are quartered