The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-11
Making Plans for a War
Union Of the Colleges
President Maclaurin of Massachusetts "Tech" Tells
How Courses Will Be Modified to Meet National
Emergency-As Little Interference Pos
sible With Regular College Work.. -...
~ General Military Training.
>HB Governments plan for utilizing
, the colleges OF the country In the
present emergency was described

TINE Governments plan for utilizing
Il the colleges OF the country In the
present emergency was described
to New England educators by President
Richard c. Maclaurin of the Institute OF
Technology last Monday night. DR.. Mac
laurin's oficiai title under the War De-
partment 10 director of college training.
and he came to Boston to preside over a
meeting Of the college presidents. He
left for Washington again at midnight.
In response to questions about his new
duties DR.. Maclaurin explained that the
war Department on the assumption that
the war is to last n long time yet has
deemed II wise as a measure Of prep
aration to establish basis OF educa-
tionaI work adapted to warlike endA
The fundamental principle in the general
plan is MAT whatever Is done shah IN
no way interfere with the future useful-
ness of the educational work of any In
stitution. What 10 to be done Is to adapt
and modify current college studies so
that they may supply the needs OF war.
1t Is to the colleges that the army and
navy must look for their future officers.
The experience of the past year has dem
onstrated this. and despite. the lack of
special training for war In their colleges
college men have risen in great num-
hers to positions Of command The col
leges must be the source of the officers
OF the future. This being true. the Gov
eminent is bringing to the attention of
the COLLEGES their potential .helpfulness,
and the colleges are responding splen-
didly to the cali.
There are three fundamental needs
which the colleges will be asked to sup
ply. continues the report in the Boston
Transcript. One 10 the need Of the army
for officers. a second is the need of the
navy for officers. and the third Is the
proper offering OF the Industrial part
of the war machine These needs are
different one from the other, but they
Rre trinity without which this war
cannot be properly prosecuted.
Here II should be most clearly UNDER
stood that there is not on the part OF the
Government any attempt to coerce the
educational institutions. The plan calls
only for cooperation during the next few
years. 1t asks the colleges TO modify
their courses OF study SO as to converge
them upon the training Of officers for the
army or navy or for engineers In the
essential industries of war. No college
Is obliged thus to do. and cooperation will
Ne everywhere a voluntary and at the
same time a patriotic action.
With this end in view every student of
more than IS years of age will enlist in
what is to be S. A. T. C. (Students
Army Training Corps). All these young
men will be soldiers and subject to mill
tary duty. They will be kept in college
and educated in ways focusing on one of
the three needs already specified This
training will be different in the different
institutions in ways related to the final
purpose. Thus aside from the military
SUBJECTS of infantry. artillery, signal SER