The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-10
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREA u
FREDERIC ]. HAsK1N. Director.
Washington, D. C.
S. A. T. C..
Washington. D. C.
Message to American Youth.

! but were about to renounce the inten- |
ton because of<th war, go anyway. |
And if you have the education and
brains to go to college, but lack the
thousand or more dollars which a col
lege education has always cost-go
! anyway!
i The government, in the first in
stance, will keep you in college until
your turn comes to be called into ser
vice, and if you show special aptitude
! along scientific or technical lines, at
may keep you there longer And, In
| the second instance, lack of funds IS
| no drawback, for the government will
pay your room and board and give yod
thirty dollars month.
| This is the gist, of the message
which the war department must bring
home to every civilian of draft age
in the next few days. The student
army training corps is a voluntary or
ganization; you must signify your de-
sire to be indicted into it. And pro-
| vided you have a grammar school or
high school education, and are able
to pass the physical examination, you
may do this, no matter who you are or
| where you live. This includes men
now in training in the various canton
ments. But the school year starts in
a. few days, so that time is limited.
And the capacity of the 800 colleges
which have in reality been practically
organized into a federal educational
system is also limited. Therefore move
promptly.
/ You have but to go to the one of
lstheSe colleges which is nearest your
home, and matriculate, registering
also with your draft board. I'm due
course, and probably about october 1,
you will be indicted into the student
army training corps, put in uniform
and under military discipline, and as
signed to quarters.
In the creation of the S. A. T. c..
the war department has four main
purposes-to obtain a supply of Off
GERS for the army that will be raised
under the new man power law; to
train engineers, technicians, and me-
chanics for the same purpose; to keep
American colleges, universities and
technical schools running and solvent;
and to insure that America shall have
the trained men necessary to do the
work of reconstruction after the war.
The new army will need at once APP
proximately 10000 officers. These
can be obtained only by-sifting the
whole registration for officer material
This will be accomplished by the S. A
Z. c., where every man will be care
fully observed, and all of those who
are considered likely officer material
will be sent to a central officers train
ing camp, which is yet to be estab-
| liShed.
The war department has heretofore
been training the mechanics and 9TH
err skilled workers which it needs at
147 vocational schools. These will be
incorporated in the s. A. T. c., and will
continue their work as before. Men
who have only grammar school ed1-
) cation will be assigned to these schools.
But II such men appear to be officer
material, they will be assigned for
officer training.
) Men who have special aptitude or
training along cetain technical lines
/ aGrla Rfsa11
chemistry-wil, when they have been
lndNcted into the S. A. T. c., continue
in special intensive training along
those lines. If their abilities justify
1t, they may be retained in college and
given such training when other men
of their age and class have been called
to the service; but these cases will be
made as few as possible.
The purpose in retaining these men
IS not only to supply the army with
the highly trained technicians, scien-
: lists and doctors which it needs, but to
! insure an adequate supply of such
+ men to do the work of reconstruction
after the war. 1t is well known fact
that in Europe, where the universities
/ have lain idle, and where in the first
months OF the war men of all sorts
+ and all classes of ability and training
were thrown into the ranks, there is a
1 dearth of scientific and technical abiI-
q the gravest kind after the war. The
= administration is determined that no
= such calamity shall befal1 this country.
e 1t is estimated that $500,0oo,00o are
universities. If deprived of their
usual enrolment, these institutions
I would deteriorate; their faculties and
4 organizations would disintegrate; ii
q would be years before higher educa-
ton could resume it's normal basis OF
h a n.
: pened in England and France. It will
e not happen in America, for the gov
; eminent will contract with the uni
versities for the housing, subsistence
Il ana tuition OF the men in the s. A. T
: c. So far as possible, it will make
: use of the teachers and equipment
| which the colleges have. In return i,
will have the right to specify wha1
n shall be taught the men. Temporary
contracts, providing for housing anG
subsistence on the basis of 81 per day
! per man, and for tuition at the usua
: rates of the institution entering intt
X the contract, have already been SEN
e to the colleges. These will be sup
: plemented later by permanent con
tracts based on the actual cost of the
a service rendered by the universities.
i These are the immediate wartime
n purposes which are to be served by tn,
S. A. T. c. It will also serve the in
; cidenta1 but a1I-important purposes o
l. giving a million or more young Ameri
If cans as high a type of education a.
e they are capable of receiving. and o
- making higher education for the frs
: time in this country matter of brains
: notAof wealth.
The only entrance requirements o
d the S. A. T.. C. are physical fitness,
d grammar school education for TIL
: vocational courses, and high schoo
= education for the officer and techniea
- schools.
,r It is not a mere hasty course O
= forced special training which is to b
=, offered, but also real education.
1t is true that the periods of train
ing will be short compared to tn
= three or four college years of min
}, months cache which have heretofor
constituted a college education. Blu
it must be remembered that going