The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-27
A onandarr for the Colleges.


The abrupt order to demobilize the stu
dents army training corps will be writ,
ten down in history as one of the stitfest
reverses to which the colleges Of the
country were ever subjected. Through
out the nation, with the utmost spirit of
patriotic cooperation, the colleges and
universities Of America had thrown them
selves into the service of the war depart
ment. The war department needed Off
Ger MATERIAL the colleges of the country
we're the logical training grounds for the
preparation of officer material, and that's
all there was to it. To supply that ma
teriaI all else was subordinated. Tradi-
tional standards of collegiate admission
and study were thrown down; trusted
forms OF academic organization went by
the board; even many Of the colleges
buildings were changed and remodelled
to meet the new requirements. On the
basis of the contracts signed and drawn
by the war department, promising fair
compensation of the colleges for all this
service during a period ending June 30,
1919, collegiate presidents and trustees
framed their budgets for the year and
made many necessary special expendi-
lures TeVulItu 10 AhiuAl lutAt paw vi OAAN
contracts. 1t is with these budgets upon
them, and with the S. A. t. G. in but
the first term of its enrolment, that the
colleges have suddenly been informed of
the collapse of the whole system upon
the war departments own order.
In support of this precipitate demobil-
ization the point may be argued that
with the country in its second year of
war, and all the normal supply of college
entrants withdrawn into service, the
colleges faced temporary suspension, and
were only saved from that suspension by
the war department arrangement of the
Is. A. T. c. 1t will be said, therefore,
that the cancellation Of the S. A. T. c.
contracts only returns the colleges to a
financial embarrassment in which they
would have found themselves three
months ago, had it not been for the CON
tracts offered them by the war depart
ment. This argument holds only in part.
If the colleges were to face a rainy day
this December, it would probably have
been better for them, in dozen and one
ways, to face it last September. They
could have taken in sail and could have
prepared for the storm. Instead of being
called upon in many particulars to en-
large their equipment, and instead of be-
ing left, as they thought, free to make
plans for a year of increased activity,
they could have entered as long ago as
last summer into definite campaign Of
entrenchment, and have given all their
attention to preparation for precisely
the end of -the-war conditions which now
the war departments order has brought
them face to face with, upon only three
days notice.
If this fact seems Of an Importance
which the war department should have
taken into account, and which should
have led it to decree a slower and more
gradual rehabilitation of the s. A. 7. c.,
that part of the story is now over and
done with. What alone remains present
and possible is that the war department,
in adjusting the cancelled contracts,
should distinctly remember the financial
embarrassments to which it has subject
ed the colleges, and should make the
most liberal allowance for them in its
terms of settlement. If this is done,
much of the burden of the sudden demo-
bilization will be lifted from them.
Indeed, if the colleges are so protected
now by the war department as to save
them from serious financial injury, they
may almost be glad of the early demise
of the S. A. T. c. Internationally speak
ing, its passing is very good radiance.
The S. A, T, G. to this date has been
failure The men remaining for admis
sion to it have been on the whole of a
poor quality, more soloitous for their
own interest than for the country's, The
plan of study and training required in it
has been but a poor adjustment, over
weighted in certain parts, skimped in
others, and not likely to make either
good students or good soldiers. The war
department has not known how to ad-
minister it well, and this through no
fault of the colleges. Perhaps it has not
even been through the fault Of the war
department. Vast, revolutionary under
takings of this kind can seldom be ex-
peeted to succeed in their first year. If
the sudden termination Of the experiment
can be harmonized with financial justice,
the colleges may set themselves to their
great tasks of the future with a long and