Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-06-21
UNCLE SAM FULL
PLEDGED MASTER
OF MANY PUPILS

Uncle Sam is now fully certified
schoolmaster with about 100000
khaki-clad pupils. This is the result
of the establishment of the educa-
tional corps Of the United States
army to provide training for voca-
tions and academic instruction for
young men in the army.
The educational corps is under
the direction of Brigadier General
Robert l. Reese, who militarized
the American colleges last fall. In
der him is an executive commission
of three educators, DR.. Frank E.
Spaulding, superintendent of
schools in Cleveland; DR.. John
Erskine, professor of English at
Columbia, and DR.. Kenyon L. But
terrified, president of the Massa-
chusetts 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 10
progress. Everything from a. b, c,
TO university subjects and from
stenography to engineering is in
Guided within the curriculum OF
THIS great and unique college.
The army schools were in full
operation by January, equipped
with 1880 worth of books special
" ordered from America and pro-
vided in part by the american
Library association. But there has
been a shortage of books and often
one book had to serve for a whole
class.
Many hundreds Of American army
schools have been established
throughout France wherever there
are enough American soldiers to
warrant. General Pershing's order
required a post school in every
place where $50 or more men were
stationed and as the schools had TO
be opened at once all sorts OF queer
places, from cafes to mOnasteries,
were used as schoolrooms, until
regular quarters could be provided.
Inc soldiers are Studying in barns,
stable lofts, aerOdrOmeS, army bar
racks and in one case in a convent.
Meantime the army is eldeaVortng
to provide adequate quarters and
sufficient books for its 100000
students. In cities like Coblenz, the
city school buildings are used with
out interfering with the regular
school life of the children.
These post schools may be term
ed ;ne primary schools of the army
system, though this is
inexact as in many of these schools
more advanced education is being
given to officers and men who are
unable to leave their posts and at
tend the divisional schools or the
university. The men attend these
post schools after their regular
days work.
Then every division has a high
school centrally located with bet
ter accommodations. Some 80 900
men are attending such high
schools. Then comes the Dig army
at Beaume which will
accommodate many thousands OF
students. Besides there are about
5000 officers and men attending
French universities who have hos
pitably thrown open their doors to
their American friends and 1000
more are in English universities.
These universities students are all
lIeu WHO nave uGu DIT lGdbL IHs
equivalent of two years N college.
Obviously few men can be de-
tached from their own units to at
tend these universities. ( but the
post school does not interfere with
work, but is available o
every soldier and thus has an i'm
Dortant place in the educational
system.
The breadth of the work in tho !
post schools being done is astourd- |
ing Men who cannot read o.
write are to be found studying in |
The same room with college gradu- !
ates who are working for. advanc-
ed degrees. There is a Lance for |
everybody. The list Of isubiea,s
-aught would FIJI "A book, bit hero
are a few to illustrate: Algebra, /
calculus. geometry, trigJ lometry,
economies. literature. FrenCh. Ger