Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-10
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS
Especial to The Bulletin.)~

Washington, D. C., Sept 9.--Putting boys of IS in the draft has changed the plans of about 400 colleges and universities throughout the country. These institutions will no longer De purely academic in scope hut will be- come military training schools. The entire work of some will be reorgan- ized and the men will specialize in such studies as will be most useful i'll the war work into which they will he paced The chief aim hereafter will he to fit men for the United States army and navy. The dataiis of the work have not been formulated but will be made known at an early date, in the meantime here is a general >ptiine of what is contemplated.
 All men-or boys as you choose to call thenl--coming within the IS year old class will be advised to go to their colleges just as if not drafted. They will be put in the T.. s. uniform of privates; they will be given military instruction and ceme under military discipline: they will he subject to call for active service. They will receive the pay of privates and their college expenses and maintenance will be paid by the government. by previous agree ment with the colleges accepted for such work. Their studies will be selected for them. They will not take the usual college course. but will be put o such specific task as will best equip them for whatever branch of he services in which they will be called to serve. It is probable the dead languag ges viii not be included, but that French and German will be made 9 speciality. It is so well known that certain scientific works of great value and importance are written only in those langua%es that there seems 10 be hut iittie favor shown here to- wards cutting out German as study. After the war when commercial rela- tons are resume |, the language will lie as necessary as before the war and there is every indication that ii will constitute one of the courses in military training at college.
 The chemical warfare division of the military service will nut chemistry in l the front rank of college training: ar l tillery servics demands the highest 1 knowledge of mathematics, engineer | ing is now one of the most important | branches of army service. Chemtca, 1 warfare has a service branch Of its l own, where poisonous gases, gas bombs and other death dealing chemi- 1 cal productions are dealt with | Whether the 1S-year old class will hC permitted to finish it's college veal without interruption or whether it i will he called to the colors In the 1 spring is not known. but the war de | rartment is urging that at least tht
 college course he taken by all wht
 are fitted and had intended to do so
 The 19 to 36 year old men will be pu | 'n another and separate class, but jus
 what will be done to provide traintn:
 tor them has not yet been officially l intimated.
 The college courses for the IS yea
 old boys will begin October first 9
 the big universities and the year vii l ne divided into four sessions of thre months each. instead of the usua three sessions. Columbia college is be- 1 ing radically reoFganized under gov | ernment approval. and tae students training camp at that institution i | expected to turn out a big batch 0 | commissioned officers The shortag of commissioned officers has resulte' | in a lowering of the age at whicl
 commissions may be given but unti the war department makes officia
 statements of what course will be pur | sued both in training and in the giv ing of commissions. only an outlin of the proposed plan is possible. Con
 
 that advance predictions of detail ar
 practically valueless although tn general plan as outlined above will b followed.
 l With only a little more than si
 weeks between HOW and the Novem
 her election. congress is at a stand
 still over the big revenue bill whic
 has held it in session all through tn
 abnormally hot summer At this mo
 meRt one mans guess is as good a another's whether the bill will pass a , this session OF whether it will g
 oyer to December. or to an after cleo , tion session in November
 The ways and means committe
 have twice had the bill ready to b debated when something unforeseen ha been sprung on them. The last hold
 up for a quick passage is the bee stopping loss of revenue, whic { Chairman Kitchin declares wi amount to not less than a billio I dollars if the order goes into effet
 July ]. 19l9., That means that th
 committee is expected to add anothe billion dollars to the great bill. Bt whether or not the committee will pu the bill to pieces after it has alread g heen reported out in the house
 quite another matter Speculation | Lite ana us FeckpAed dp0ul HltA |, nifty guess at this moment what wi be the result. One thing is certai
 The bill cannot get through the hous a and senate before the election unle:
 steam roller methods are adopted. Q has long been hinted that the admin y istration and democratic leaders d q not wish the bill to pass before eleC , ton, on the ground that it would : unpopular and that democratic car D didates might suffer in eonseauenc