The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-09-03
The Students Army
Training Corps

This is the name by which the gov
ernments plan to harmonic educa
ton with war activities is known
Realizing that the preservation of the
colleges is of vital Importance to the
nation and that the completest pos
sible education is the best prepare
ton any young man can have for ser
vice, the War Department proposes
the Students Army Training Corps
as the solution for one of the prob
lens presented by the war.
Under the new draft law every
young man eighteen years of age or
over is subject to his country's call
for military or naval service. To the
younger men the government is now
saying, When you are needed, you
will be called Until you are called
you will be doing the thing that. is
best both for your country and your.
self by remaining in school in order
that when you are called you may
be able to render the largest and the
best service"
Schools and colleges in which one
hundred young men of eighteen years
of age or over are enrolled may be-
come units in the Students Army
Training Corps. About one hundred
schools have already been so enrolled
and the number is increasing daily.
For such schools the government will
provide training and equipment.
Schools having fewer than one hun
dred students of the required age will
combine in order to receive the same
help from the government.
During the coming year great mum.
bers of officers will be needed in Am.
erlca's great new armies. Schools
complying with the conditions laid
down by the War Department will
become reservoirs of officer material
which will be drawn upon as needed.
The young men who show promise
under this training will be kept in
college until qualified to enter Cen.
trail Officers Training Camps or to
90 directly into the service as tech.
nical experts. Those who do not will
be sent either to Non-commisisoned
Officers Schools or to the nearest
Depot Brigade or, in case they show
special technical or mechanical abil.
ity, to the detachments where men
are trained for such work.
In each state a campaign director
has been appointed to serve as a me-
dunn of communication between the
government and the Students Army
Training Corps. For Florida Rev.
calvin H. French of Rollins College,
Winter Park, Florida has been an.
pointed State Director. He receives
information as it becomes available
from the War Department and the
National Council of Education and he
will gladly answer any questions con.
corning the campaign.
General Peyton c. March, Chief of
stan, today approved by order of
the Secretary of War, a plan for the
organization of Student Armv
Training Corps in the educational
institutions of the country to train I,
men as officers and technical experts
In the army The plan for the Stu.
dent Army Training Corps, as al.
tered to conform to the plans Of the
War Department for lowering the
dratt age, will untilize the plant.
equipment, and organization of the
colleges to maintain a reservoir of
ohcer material for training, from
Whlch 1t will be possible to meet the
needs of the various branch.
es of the servic.
me length of time during which !.
men will be trained in the colleges ,
VIII depend upon the needs of the !.
service. As fast as one group of
rahed men is drawn from the col.
eyes into the service their places
VIII be taken by new quota oh.
aimed by voluntary induction or
through the draft. In this way the
educational facilities of the country
viii be used to maintain a constant
supply of men who are trained 70