Evening star., 1918-06-21
EMBRYO OFFICERS
OF ARMY PREPARED
Amherst College Trains Bat
talon as Part of Course
for U. S. Service.
Correspondence. Of tn. Associated Press.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press.
AMHERST. Mats, June eo.-As typi-
cal Of what New England colleges have
accomplished during the past college
year. Amherst College. although not a
military institution. has prepared bat
talon Of embryo army officers for the
service of their country. These young
men. for the most part below the draft
aGe. have been trained as a part Of their
college course in the Amherst Reserve
Ofcers' Training Corps. Some Of age
will get commissions, many have gone
to seek additional training at Pl.ttsburg
and the New England College Training
Corps at Williamstown. Mass; others
course. continue their mSits-y training
here and await the call
Virtually every student in college has
been in khaki the entire year. the grass
on the old Amherst common has been
worn down with the tread OF their
r:arching feet. and the traditional slouch
Of the college student has been replaced
by the erect. smart bearing that typifies
the American Army officer
This little Yankee college on the
hill' has been Transformed by the war
Not that scholarship is suffe ring there
the faculty says the devotion of tte col
. lege to its former standards and ideals
Is too deep-rooted for that-but with her
Yankee traditions Amherst could not
fail to throw herself whole -heartedly
Into the country's service.
Students Already in Service.
More than third of the 500 students
have gone to the colors long ago. ten
members of the faculty have entered
civilian war work. other members have
been serving in special ways. and mill
tary training and preparation for war
service has become a part of the curric-
ulum. Only forty seniors were left to
graduate. They and the undergraduates
who remained to complete their educa-
tion now seem rather soldiers than stu
dents.
The war spirit has prevailed and
tacuity members say that in Amherst
somewhat happy-go-lucky Undergrad
uate OF yore. He has become imbued
with more real seriousness of purpose
and the change Is reflected in i'm
proved scholastic standing.
With eager enthusiasm the three
hundred odd students composing the
Omcers' Reserve Training Corps have
drilled daily under Col. Richard H.
Wilson. U. 9. A., retired. and Mai
Frank c. Damon. Massachusetts Vol
unteer Militia, and have been COM
mended as hish-class officer material.
Chosen for Machine Gun Unit.
Yale has her battery, and Amherst
has been selected for the establish
ment OF machine gun unit recog-
nized by the government on the same
basis as the Oficers Reserve Train
ing Corps. The organization of a
group of advanced students desiring
instruction in this branch of the serv-
ice. important both in trench war
fare and in aviation. has been formed
this year by Maj. John K. Eilert, Of
ficers' Reserve Training Corps of the
class of 1918. who has completed the
government course in machine gun
at the Springfield armory. A Colt au .
tomato and a Browning heavy ma
chine gun. one Of the former pre-
sented to the college of the class of
1854, are now available for the train
ing of the unit.
In adjusting the curriculum to war
needs. the college has supplemented
the military training with special
courses in map drawing. radio work,
navigation. airplane. motors and bac-
teriology for sanitary work. The
chemistry department is doing special
research work for the government.
To provide for students within two
years of the draft age, a special two
year course has been established. in
which, with certain exceptions. all
the usual requirements Of the regu-
lar college course are waived. The
students can elect such subject as
seem most useful during their stay in
college and are given the privilege
of completing the remainder of the
requirements for degree at any
other time.