South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-06-01
UNCLE SAM NOW
SCHOOLMASTER--
MANY STUDENTS
Establishment of Vocational
Training for Soldiers Makes
U. S. Leading Educator.
By Associated Press

By Associated Press:
PARIS. April 22.-(Correspond-
ence)-Uncle Sam is now a fully
certified schoolmaster with about
200. 900 khaki-clad pupils. This is
the result OF the establishment OF
the educational corps OF the United
states army 10 provide training for
vOcatiOns and academic instruction
for young men in the army.
The educational corps Is under
the direction Of Brig. Gen. Robert
J. Rees. who miIitarized the Amer
an colleges last fall. Under him
is an executive commission OF three
educators. DR.. Frank +. Spaulding,
superintendent OF schools in Cleve-
land; DR.. John Erskine. professor
of English at Columbia; and DR..
Kenyon l. ButterfeId. president OF
the Massachusetts Agricultural col
lege. In all about 1900 instructors,
including a nun.D Der 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
included within the curriculum Of
this great and unique college
The army schools were in full op-
Grafton By January, equipped with
$1,000 worth OF books specially or
dered fom America and provided in
part by the American Library as
ISOLATION. But there has been a
shortage Of books and often the
book has mad TO serve for a whole
class.
Many Hundreds Schools.
Many hundreds Of army schools
have been established throughout
France wherever there are enough
American soldiers to warrant. Gen.
Pershing's order required a post
school in every place where 500 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. The soldiers
are studying in barns, stable lofts,
aerOdromes. army barracks and in
one case in a convent. Meantime
the army is endeavoring TO provide
adequate quarters and sufficient
books for its 100000 students. In
cities like Coblenz, the city school
buildings are used without inter
fering with the regular school life
OF the children.
These post schools may be termed
the primary schools OF the army ed
vocational system, though this is in
exact 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 Of the
university. The men attend these
post schools after their regular
days work.
Then every division has a high
school centrally located with better
accommodations. Some $4,000 men
are attending such high schools.
Then comes the big army university
at Beaune which will accommodate
many thousands OF students. Be
sides there are about 5000 officers
and men attending French uni
versities who have Hospitality thrown
open their doors TO their American
friends and 1000 men are in Eng
ish universities These university
students are all men who have had
at least the equivalent Of two years
in college.
Available TO All.
Obviously few men can be detach-
ed from their own units TO attend
these universities but the post
school does not interfere with mill
tary work, but is available 10 every
soldier and thus has an important
place in the educational system.
The breadth of the work in the
post schools being done is astound-
ing. Men who cannot read or write
are TO be found studying in the
same room with college graduates
who are working for advanced de-
grees. There is a c1ance for every
body. The list OF subje Us taught
would I'll a book but here are a few
TO illustrate Algebra, calculus. sc
ometry. trigeometry. economics, lit
erature. French, German, Italian,
Spanish, agriculture. automobile re-
pairing. baking. barbering. book
keeping. arithmetic. business Eng
lfsh. business forms, carpentry, cob
bling. commercial law. cooking.
horseshoeing. surveying. mechanical
drawing. road construction, sales
manship. stenography. typewriting.
tailoring, biography and telephone
repair.