Gunnison news-champion., 1918-08-16

For the purpose of developing men
who shall have this combination of
military and intellectual training a
new corps has been created in the
army, TO be called the Students Army
Training Corps. Voluntary enlistment
in this Corps Is open to all able-bodied
students in the institutions of collegi-
ate grade who are not under eighteen
years Of age. Students under eigh-
teen cannot be legally enlisted, but
they may enroll and thus receive mil
itary training until they reach the
age when they can legally enlist.
The boy who enllsts in the Students
Army Training Corps Will be a mem
Der Of the United States Army. He
will be provided by the War Depart
ment with uniform and equipment, but
will be on furlough status and will not
receive pay. He will undergo regular
military training as a part Of his
course during the college year, will at
tend a six-weeks camp for rigid and
intensive military instructions with
priyate's pay and will be subject to
the call Of the President for active
service at any time, should the ext
gencies Of the military situation de-
mand it. The policy of the Govern
ment, however, will be to keep mem
bers of this Corps in college until their
draft age is reached. and the War De-
partmcnt will have the power to or
der such men 10 continue in college
ever after their draft age is reached
whenever their work is such that the
needs of the service, e. g, for doctors,
engineers, chemists, and the like, are
such as 10 make that course advisable.
The Students Army Training Corps
will be administered BY the Commit
tee on Education and Special Training
Of the War Department, which Will
function as a section of the General
Staff. Competent officers and non
commissioned officers will be assigned
to the various institutions to carry
on the work of military instruction.
by the War Department three special
TO supplement the officers assigned
summer training camps are being
held to train a limited number of pick
ed students and members of the facul-
ties Of the various institutions so that
they will be able to assist in the work
Of military instruction. These camps
will be held at Plattsburg, New York,
Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and Preside.
California, for sixty days beginning
/ July 18th.
/ The importance of this plan for
combined military and collegiate train
/ ing, if we are to meet in the future the
urgent needs of the army for highly
/ trained men, is so great that the War
Department earnestly requests the
colleges, Councils Of Defense, and 9th
er patriotic societies to cooperate in
bringing il TO the attention of the
I young men of the country and in urg
+ ing them TO do their part to make it
a success"
Briefly the plan means this: Stu
dents are asked to enlist for the per-
iod of the war. 1t is the policy of the
Government to keep the student in
college until his draft age is reached.
I The authorities of the institution in
whose Students Army Training Corps
/ he is enlisted will then consider his
record, and in view of the kind of
capacity which he has shown will rec
ommend to the War Department eth
er that he should be furloughed to con-
tinue his military training and his
studies in college until he finishes his
course, or that he should go at once
to an Officers Training Camp TO pre-
pare for an officers commission to
work in the ordnance, quartermaster.
or other Staff Corps or sent immedi-
ately to division at one of the camps.
In other words, it will be the respon-
sibility of the college authorities and
the Commandant in charge to deter
mine, in view of the exigencies of the
time, in what way the student can best
serve his country. 4
Opportunity will be given to the en-
listed student, who SO elects, to trans
fer from army to navy and vice versa,
and to be assigned to active service
in one of the various corps of the
army upon recommendation of the
college President and the proper mil
itary authority.
Should Congress lower the draft
age, men of the new age not already
enlisted may find difficulty in enter
ing the service otherwise than thru
the draft boards. In view Of this
probability, all men expecting to en-
list at all in the Students Army Train
ing Corps will do well to enter this
fall.
While the Government desires that
all students who can possibly continue
their training in college should do so
whether they enlist or not, it now
calls upon every State to carry on a
vigorous campaign urging the enlist
ment Of every able-bodied and men
tally capable young man in the Stu
dents Army Training Corps.
The plan was presented and con-
sidered at a recent meeting of the
Educational Institutions of Colorado,
including the public schools, as we'll
as the Colleges and Universities. At
this meeting it was decided, in view
of the tremendous Importance of this
war measure, to refer it to the State
Council of Defense. This was done,
and the Council of Defense took the
view that since this was plan which
had been carefully worked out by the
War Department with due consider
alton for the Colleges as well as for
the good of the country, and since it
had been fully and deliberately ap-