Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-29

It viii probably not be until after
the present European coaaict is over
that the great service
Training which has been rendered
60 the country by the officers
Hs' training camps will be
fully recognized.
Accepting the Plattsburg expert
ment as the basis and using funds
appropriated by Congress for an en-
largement of the Plattsburg system
Of training, the War Department.. 1t
the time the United States declared
war on the imperial German govern
ment. established a series Of training
camps. sixteen in number. and locat-
ed in various parts of the country.
The camps were scattered throughout
the United States SO as to afford the
opportunity of entrance and training
with the least Inconvenience and ex-
psnss Of travel to prepare throughout
the entire country. ohlcers previous
were required to attend camps. and.
in addition. approximately 10000 Sc
iected candidates we're accepted from
among the much greater number who
applied for admission. At the conclu-
sion of the fFst camp 27.a41 officers
port at the places selected for the
training of the new Army. By this
process the officials of the War De-
partment supplied not only the Off
GERS needed for the National Army,
but filed tbs roster Of the Regular
were necessary. Other camps have
been held since the first one. and each
one has been more successful than the
former because of the experience
gained in handling the problem.
1t must be remembered that the
need for officers exists not only in
connection with the actual training
of troops in camp and the leadership
of troops in the field, but vast num-
ber of Officers must constantly be en-
ployed in staff duties. and great num-
bers must as constantly be engaged in
military research and in specialized
forms OF training associated with the
use of newly developed arms and ap-
planes. In other words. the War
Department must maintain not merely
the special-service schools which are
required to perfect the training of Of
ficers in special. arms of the service,
but they must also constantly ex-
pertinent with new devices and reduce
to practical use the discoveries Of SCI
ence and the new applications OF me-
chanical and scientific arts, both for
offensive and defensive purposes.
The training camps established at
the beginning of the war disclosed
strength. Nobody will suppose that,
with the growing intricacy of mill
tary science and the Industrial arts
related to it, q country can dispense
with trained professional soldiers.
The fundamentals of military disci-
pline remain substantially unchanged,
and In order that we may assemble
quickly and effectively adequate mill
tary forces there must always be in
the country q body of men to whom
the life Of soldier is a career and
who have acquired from their youth
those qualities which have from the
beginning distinguished graduates Of
the Military Academy at West
Point-the disciplined honor. the I'M
faltertng courage, the comprehension
Of sacrifice, and that knowing ODE
dlsnes which proceeds from eonstan.
fective cooperation in war requires
instant compliance with the command
Of authority. the sort of obedience
which knows that a battle field is no
place for parliament.
Added to these mental and moral
qualities. the body of professional
soldiers must devote themselves unre-
mittingly to the development of the
arts of war, and when the emergency
arises must be familiar with the uses
OF science and the applications of in
dustry in military enterprise. But
these training camps have taught the
War Department officials that, given
this relatively small body of profess
sional soldiers, the nation has at hand
an apparently inexhaustible body Of
splendid material which can be
rapidly made to supplement the pro-
fesstonal soldier. In other words, the
training camps have been a big les
son to Uncle Sans professional fight
Ing men.
In an effort to locate all planta-
tons and private paintings of white
pine in the United States,
Whito in order that more eff
p; fective measures may be
taken to prevent the
spread Of the destructive white pine
blister rust, officials of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, in cooperation
with the States. is making a survey
of the planted white pine and white
pine nursery stock of the country.