The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-06-20

lHtterates Will b Drilled Mem
tally as Well as Phys
u. icaN. = @s:., . ~ !: I
CITIZENSHIP As, Z REWARD
Major Fsrrts osvelepmsnts battalion
-a* Camp. Upton Furnishss sasle
Tor Now Aetlvity-splsndld
= asol1ts ALREADY Shown. : .,.., 81

:: Camp Upton; Il. 1.-The knowledge
gained during the. war ia connection
with the training and instruction OF
.illiterate and nom English speakers u
to be turned to account in the recruit
ing Of 4 peace-time army. - ':'&ss$}, 81: !
BY direction Of the war department
there 10 being established here the
hrst recruit educational CENTER" for
which 30 barracks and other build.
.ings have been set aside, and II. will
be conducted on the lines followed by
Maj. Ralph Hall Ferris when he made
such a success of development bat
TALON No. g. which went out Of being
when the armistice was signed.
Major Ferris ia retiring as camp
morale officer to become commander
Of the center, which 70 the outgrowth
Of his own plan. =. >
Brigadier General Nicholson, camp
commander, received within few
days the order to establish the center.
and recruiting has begun throughout
the eastern and northeastern depart
ments Of the army. = -
viii ee Taught English. =
An illiterate or non-English-speak.
ing recruit who enlists under the new
plan will be taught to speak Engliah,
will receive thorough American train
ing from officers born here. and will
in addition get cttisenship papers
when his enlistment term of three
years has expired. r
Under the draft act 24:D per cent Of
the men enlisted. or practically one
quarter Of them. were unable to read
a newspaper or write letter home.
There were 1900 such men sent here
and they were put In Major Ferris
development battalion. His method
Of training and educating them at
tracted attention In Washington. In
the notification sent to General Mich.
olson by Maj. Gen. Henry Jervey, as
sistant chief Of STAFF, he said: your
camp has been selected not only
because it is centrally located
but also because of the excel;
lent results IN connection with the
teaching Of English that have been
obtained in development battalion No.
Q. Camp Upton"
On August Fl. 1918. the sixth devel.
opment unit wasa organized and all
rockies who were 1lliterate or did not
speak English, except a,few who had
physical defects, were Ean6erred to
It. The teachers Iselected were pr.
Yates or noncommisslonsd officers who
held university degrees or who were
teachers in civil life. Race was not
considered in the choosing of officers.
1t was soon proven that squads and
platoons composed of different nation
alities received their military instruc-
ton as easily as If racial groups had.
been organized for the purpose. Only
English was permitted to be spoken
in the mess halls. military formations
and general gatherings Of the men.
Instruction except in. the elementary
classes was given in English. -
= = Made Good Progress. !
J Within three months men who could
! speak little or no English when they
entered the battalion became sufii-
ciently proficient in military English
to fulfil the ordinary functions Of
soldiers both in Organization and on
separate missions. In addition prac-
tically all of ,thesfecruits proved their
spirit Of Americanism by becoming,
citizens. -! r. i
The recruits upon being accepted
for the new center will be classified
according to their knowledge Of Eng.
lish and assigned to battalions accord
ingly. A school of instruction of the
illiterate and notwithstanding re-,
cruits is being established. The
course of instruction viii be normally
four months, or six months In excep-
tional cases. The men will be classed
in groups Of Is to 20 and will be grad
ed according to the progress shown. /;
A board Of examiners will examine
the recruits for, :classif ication and pre-
pare suitable tests. to determine the,
rate of progress especially of Slows
learning men and the reasons for their
backwardness. When the recruits
have developed sufhciently for assign
ment- Major Ferris will, report them.
to tie adjutant general Of the army
Tor disposition. ! 81
- .------ -. 1854 "a
= -y, ,st