New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-12-28
State Reconstruction Body
Says Military Training
Law Loses Point by Put
ting Stress OH Duty
TO Pop''larize the System
Outings at Which Boys Will
BE Instructed Fully Of
fered as Good Alternative

Establishment Of summer camps
and an adequate physical training pro-
gram, to supplant the present state
military training of boys between six
teen and eighteen years DID, is recon-
mended by the State Reconstruction
Commission in q statement issued yes
terday.
The commission charactcrlzes the
present method Of birmingham houl,
and half each week at military drills
neither wise procedure TO instill
patriotism in the hearts Of boys nor of
benefit to them physically. To illus
trate their contention they refer to a
summer camp administered by pri-
vate organizations. camp that pro
duccd splendid results in the physjca a
Improvement of the boys who attended
it, and compare that system with short
drills indoors
Same Ends Are Sought
Both the aforementioned organiza-
ton and the state are aiming at the
same purpose" points out the COM
mission, 1.-The training of our boys to
healthy, helpful citizenship. the pos
session Of an alert mind in sound
body; certain spirit of helpfulness
and good to the community; an in
stinct Of helpfulness to the state as
contrasted with egotism and self-prcs-
ervation. The great difference is in
their effect, for while the organization
is accomplishing just what it set out
to do, the state, with its military train
ing, law. is having n result diametri-
cally opposed"
DR.. Felix Adler of the Reconstruct
ton Commission says:
The difference is that the former
plants its seed indirectly and lets it
grow; the latter tries to implant full
grown into the minds of the bows q
big thought without letting them real
lze for themselves its why's and where
torres. In other words, it asks those
boys to bite off more than they chew
Definitely, the military training law
provides that all boys in the state be-
tween the ages Of sixteen and cightcen
years go for one hour and a half a
week to an armory for definite mill
tary instruction and adequate physical
education.'
"Without dwelling upon the patent
1act That one hour and half once a
week isn't sufficient to administer adc-
quate instruction in anything, let us
watch the working OF the law. 1t hands
to these young boys guns, rifles, bayo-
nets and other instruments of military
training and says to them: Your
country may need you to fight for it
some day. You must be perfect in the
use of these, so that you may be ready.
They may even go so far as to tell him
that 1t is his duty to protect his coun-
try; that he derives many benefits
from that country; that, as a matter
OF patriotism, he should be prepared to
stand by it,
Duty" Not Popular Word
"And your boy believes 1T, as it is
right and proper that he should. But
'duty'-thats a word he abhors. No
one, your young boy least Of all, ever
did thing happily, willingly or we'll
because it was his duty to do it..
There must be much more than that
there must be the whole hearted wish
to sacrifice before that sacrifice can
fulfill it's purpose.
Real citizenship is a spirit Of scrv-
ice to ones self and ones community"
says Dr. Adler. "Supposing we could
Undue each boy between the ages
Of sixteen and eighteen years with
that spirit; to make him consider it a
his country, whether it be in war or
in peace; that that service is only
natural outlet for his physical. mental
and moral well being?
"That is why the State Reconstruct
ton Commission is recommending the
blishmcnt of summer camps, under
state auspices and established and
maintained with state funds, where all
boys in tho state between the specified