Evening star., 1918-03-17
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

was to aid in marshaling the intellec-
tua1 resources of the nation. Colleges,
universities and other educational IN
stitutions were eager to do their part,
but few Of them knew how to proceed
In this connection Columbia University
worked out service blank which
proved to be unusually effective In
cataloguing the resources represented
by its faculty, graduates and students.
The bureau reprinted this blank and
sent it to other colleges and universi-
ties, in order that the successful e1-
perience of one institution might De
effectually made known to all.
A second movement affecting particu-
larly the higher educational institutions
of the country developed as an outside
interest, but soon found important con-
committee on science. engineering and
education of the advisory commission
of the Council of National Defense held
a conference in which were represented
the large associations of universities.
This conference proposed to establish
a medium of communication between
the higher institutions and the depart
ments of the government charged with
the conduct of the war. 1t likewise pro-
posed to indicate what should be the
general policy to be pursued by the
colleges and universities with regard
to "G), immediate utilization of their
resources for the government service;
(2), possible notifications of curricuia
to fulfill the need for trained men in
the technical branches and in military
science; (3), maintaining and improv-
ing institutions of higher education
for the training of the youth Of the
country to meet the moro difficult con-
ditions of living which viii follow the
war"
AS a result of this conference a state
ment of principles was prepared ana
distributed by the bureau Of education
to colleges and universities. rms
statement of principles suggested tnat
colleges and universities should so or
ganiZe their work as to be OF the
greatest possible usefulness to. the
country in its present Crisis. IL also
suggested that all young men below
the age of liability to the selective draft
and those not recommended for special
service who could avail themselves OF
the opportunities offered by the col
leges should be urged to do SO; ana
such other matters It is believed that
as a result Of this work mucn goGo
has been done in arousing patriotism IN
the colleges and universities throughout
the country.
There has been considerable crftf-
cism about our Army from time TO
time, and yet the
na1o1oruan+ fact that it is not
more efficient is right
OF the Army. up to the people Of
the country themselves, and in most
cases Army officers are not much to
blame.
The greatest emergency which has
confronted our country since 1860 for
tunately found the Army possessed OF
an organ without which no Intelligent
preparation of a war is possible and
whose absence in previous conflicts has
crippled the most patriotic efforts, de-
layed the decision and magnlned the
expense.
II may be said that the general staff
is only just growing to mems estate.
An act of Congress created this organ
in name in 1903, but that act couid
not endow a large body Of officers with
which are the attributes OF a generai
staff This education and experience
had to be created. and it could not be
created in a minute. The act merely
gave the authority to undertake the
task
the staff college and the War College
were instituted, but the instructors
themselves had to be evolved before
these schools could begin to turn out
a
long one, and it is only in the past very
few years that a small but steady sup
ply of men has passed through the
staff college and the war college, and,
returning to their regiments, consul
tuted a little reservoir from which
could be drawn from time to time and
under very strict rules officers under
standing at least the theory and
trained at least in the theoretical ap-
plication of general staff methods.
10 raj
was, declared the demand for officers
having this education has been enor-
nous; the supply wholly inadequate.
But these few officers have worked
great praise, and it is the belief of
officials high up in the War Depart
nlent that had this small category of
officers educated in general staff work
never been created the confusion, de-
lay and disappointments of 1898 would
have been repeated and magnlhed IN
1917.
When war was declared only twenty
officers were available for the huge
work suddenly placed upon the general
law anticipated that it alone should
do, work which the general staff alone
was qualified to do. OF these twenty
officers nine were employed by the
chief of staff in his office on duties
prescribed for him by law, namely,
the coordination and supervision of
the entire military establishment; upon
the remaining eleven devolved the
study of military problems. the prep
aration of plans for the national de-
fense and the utilization of the mill
tary forces in time of war"
Nothing could more clearly show the
practical disadvantage to the country
OF having the law limit SO uncondition-
ally the number of officers who, even in
an emergency, may be employed on
general staff work, and the number
which may be assembled in a given
place, as Washington, in orSler to do
that work. An emergency may arise
of such delicacy as to make it unwise
to request Congress to enact special
law providing the agencies to meet it,
The military problems incident to the
concentration of the Regular Army and
the National Guard along the border
as well as the reorganization of the
Regular Army had given full occupa-
tion to the small body of general staff
officers on duty in Washington up to
the outbreak of the war. The flood
of problems imme edfately preceding and
following the rupture of diplomatic re-
lations with Germany was more than
they could cope with, and as a first
measure of relief five general staff
officers were taken from duty .on the
border and sent to- the War College,
giving it total of sixteen officers No
further increase was possible until
Congress in May of last year increased
the General Staff Corps to ninety-one
officers. These were selected and ap-
pointed, and finally forty-seven of them
were assembled at the War College for
TInI