Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-05-29
UNCLE SAM, scHooLMAsTER.
Has 100000 Students in Europe Clad
in Khaki Uniforms.
Correspondence Associated Press.

[Corres pondence Associated Press.l
Paris, April 22.--Unc,e Sam is now
| a fully certified schooimaster with
about 200, 900 khaki clad pupils.
! This is the result of tho establishment
of the educational corps Of the United
States army to provide training for
vocations and academic instruction for
young men IN the army.
The educational corps Is under the
direction of Brig. Gen. Robert I. Rees,
| who militarized the American colleges
last fall. Under him is an executive
commission Of three educators, DR..
Frank E. Spaulding, Superintendent of
schools in Cleveland; DR.. John Ersk-
inc, professor of English at Columbia:
and DR.. Kenyon L. Butterfield. presi-
dent OF the Massachusetts, agricultural
college. In all about 1900 instructors,
Including a number of men of high
standing in American education, are
teaching the American soldiers the
way to progress. Everything from a
b to university subjects and from
stenography to engineering is includ
ed within the curriculum of this great
and unique college.
The army schools were in full OPP
Grafton by January equipped with
81 500 worth Of books especially ord
cred from America and provided in
part by the American Library Associa-
ton. But there has been a shortage of
books and often one book has had to
serve for whole class.
Many hundreds of army schools
have been established thruout France
annnUh American
soldiers to warrant. General Pershing's
order required q post school in every
place where 500 OF more naen were sta
toned and as the schools had to be
opened at once all sorts Of queer
places, from cafes to monestaries. were
used as schoolrooms, until regular
quarters could ne provided. The SOL
diers are studying In barns. stable
lofts, aerdromes, army barracks and in
one case In q convent. Meantime the
army is endeavoring to provide ade-
quate quarters and sufficient books for
its 100000 students. In cities like CO.
blenz, the city school buildings are
used without interfering with the reg
ular school life Of the children.
These post schools may be termed
the primary schools Of the army edu-
cational system. though this is mex
act as in many, of these schools more
advanced education is being given to
officers and mon who are unable to
leave their posts and attend the divi-
sional school or the university. The
men attend these post schools after
their regular days work.
Then every division has a high
NJ %al i hot
commodations. Some 10000 men are
attending such high schools. Then
comes the pig army university at
Beaune which will accommodate many
thousands Of students. Besides there
are about 5000 officers and men at
tending French universities who have
Hospitality thrown open their doors to
their American friends and 1000 more
are in English universities. These
universities students are all men who
have had at least the equivalent of
two years in college.
Obviously few men can be detached
from their own units to attend these
universities but the post school does
not interfere with military work, but
is available to every soldier and thus
has an important place in the educa-
tional system.
The breadth Of the work in the post
schools being done is astounding Men
who can not read or write are to be
found studying in the same room with
callege graduates who are working for
advanced degrees There is q chance
for everybody. The list Of subjects
taught would fill book but here are
few to illustarte: Algebra, calculus,
geometry, trigonometry, economics, lit
erature, French, German, italian. Span
ish. agriculture, automobile repairing.
baking, barbering, bookkeeping, arith-
matte, business English, business
forms, carpentry. cobbling. commercial
law, cooking, horseshoeing, surveying,