The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-05
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
Blu RE AU
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington, d. c.
MAKING THE ARMY A SCHOOL

MAKING THE ARMY A SCHOOL.
Washington, D. c.. June Prob
ably the greatest educational organi-
cation in the world is now being main
tanned by the United States war de-
partment in Europe. This school syS-
! tenn is training or has trained about
| 3O0,0 men. 1t has spent more than
Il million dollars for text books alone.
and a million and half of text books
have been donated to it. 1t includes
! as one of its departments the largest
| English speaking university in the
world.
The full extent and nature OF our
overseas army schools is not known to
the American public because the war
department has been so busy building
! up the system that it has not had
time to describe it. The essential facts
about this great educational enterprise
are told here for the first time.
Before the armistice the war de-
partment had formed plans for edu-
| eating the men in Europe. and the Y.
NJ. c. A. was already conducting some
schools in a very efficient manner.
With the signing of the armistice both
the need and the opportunity for such
| a system became media tely greater.
There were several million Ameri-
cans under arms. Those still on Amer
| lean soil could be quickly dem OBLIGED.
| but it would take a long time to re-
turn the overseas troops. while some
l Oh lnth WOulQ De detained there III
| definitely as an army of occupation.
Not only did this present an oppor-
! tunity to prepare these men for civ
| ilian life, but it made it absolutely nee
essary to provide some occupation for
them, since their military duties were
greatly relaxed.
Accordingly the plans for an edu-
! cational system were speeded up. The
| work of the Y. NJ. c. A. was placed
under military charge and greatly eX-
! banded, while leading American civil
ian educators were called upon for aid
and advice.
| While a large part of the work of
organization was done by these civil
! ianS nearly all of the actual teachers
| were drawn from the army. 1t was
| found that there were no less than
| 10000 men in the expeditionary force
| who had had some teaching expert
| were $500 college professors, or men
| otherwise sufficiently trained to con-
| duct collegiate instruction. The army
had the essentials of complete educa-
tional system within its ranks.
| Tee French ministry of public in
| formation added to the teaching force
| by assigning to the American army
| several hundred teachers of French,
| who have taught this language by the
| direct method to a quarter of mil
| lion Americans. Text books were
bought thru the Y NJ c. A. with gov
| eminent funds and were donated by
patriotic Americans, and libraries
were established by the American
Library association.
| Moving pictures are extensively
used, and educational films have been
supplied by the department Of agri-
culture. the public health service, and
| other government departments. A
| special text book on France entitled
"France-Our Ally" was written by
| Nine. Hughes La Roux, and a similar
text book on England was written for
the Americans by Gilbert K. Chester
ton. the famous British essayist
The American school system in
France is divided into four parts: the
post schools, the divisional educational
centers, the American Army university
at Beaune, and the detail of officers
and soldiers as students at French and
British universities.
A post school Is an elementary
school. like our own public schools
from the eighth grade down. 1t ordi-
narily includes five hundred or more
men There are about 1000 of these
schools in the expeditionary force
Three hours a day are devoted to
! study, and this much is subtracte ed
| from the daily drill. These schools
are a force for Characterization, -
teaching the English language and the
elements of American citizenships to
| thousands of foreign-born Americans
other popular subjects at the post
schools are French, history. geography
and mathematics. Citizenship is the
| leading course and is taught thru il
Illustrated lectures. There are 10000
men in these schools, including 1906
in the army of occupation.
The divisional education centers are
| the high schools nj ha a A
vey of each division is made to find
out what subjects are most in demand
The educational center is located at 9
central point Not more than Is pei
cent of the men in division may en-
ter this school. They spend five
hours a day in school, and drill ONLY
one hour. The course lasts three
months. If a mans division is ordered
home before he completes his course
he may apply for transfer to an
other division in order to complete
his studies. If he wishes. These schools
have both vocational and genera
courses, like modern high schools
The vocational courses include sucl
subjects as carpentry. telephone re
pair, biography, surveying. automo
bile mechanics. cooking and tailoring
The general subjects include such a.
agriculture, mechanical drawing. Eng
lish literature and modern languages
The popularity of these schools is in
dicated by the fact that the Sth corp
school, including three divisions, ha
5000 students.
In order to provide specialized in
struction in various subjects, the wa
department has organized a central in
stitution at Beaune, which is called tn
EAmerican Army university. This i
the largest English speaking univer
sity in the world. 1t had 5000 stu
dents in March and was, expected t
reach an enrolment of 10000. 1t &C
cupies the site and building of al
enormous hospital, which was de
signed to accommodate 1000 patient
and covers two square miles of land
The citizens of Beaune are YER
friendly to the institution and hav
established at their own expense