Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-09-25

gan and Captain Daniels, it ought to be said that
these two officers have given of their best and are
still remaining in the service, despite the calls of
their business in civil life, to forward the project
which has as it's essential element military plus a
high grade of civilian vocational education for the
youth of America who may become officers or en-
listed men of the United States army.
Last June l was at West Point, where l wit
messed the presentation of diplomas to $50 young
second leutenants of the army who after a two
years course at the academy had been sent to
Camp Humphreys for vocational training. They
returned to West Point for the purpose of receiv-
ing their diplomas. SO 1t will be seen that this
school at Belvoir-on- the Potomac has been in
operation for some time.
Even in it's preparatory stages this school not
only has instructed young officers of the army but
hundreds of enlisted men. They work in machine
shops, in lumber camps for the peninsula is heav-
lily wooded in carpentry in printing, in map max
Ing in blacksmthng, in railway construction and
railway operation in electricity, and in fact in
all branches of industry which are seryiceable in
civil life as i'll the army. The completion of the
school as outlined will give to officer regular,
reserve or National Guard and to the enlisted man
that roundabout vocational education which 1t
will be difficult to get elsewhere
Here is every necessary manufactured product
of the war time. Everything that engineering In
genuity has produced Is here. one might say as a.
kind of educational sample. Camp Humphreys h
storehouse Of the material necessary for instruc
ton along nearly every line of military and
civilian effort.
Appropriations are needed to carry the work at
Camp Humphreys to conclusion Congress has
been asked fer money and the probability is that
it will be forthcoming Ne knows today
whether the United States is 10 have any form of
universal military training not, but If the de-
csfon shall be in it, favor young men who from
year to year enter their countrys service for field
he n n tO nv
q training at this Potomac school.
The students who thus far have been under in
struetion at Camp Humphreys, officers and enlist
ed men alike, have started at the beginning of
things. The West Point classes went into the
machine and carpenter shops, laid tracks, did Sec
tion-hand work and all the other things necessary
to give them practical knowledge of the things
useful to them in their soldier profession or later
in any profession trade or business which they
might enter on return to civil life. 1t has been
a school of hard work. of regular living, with a
sufficient amount of recreation. and with things
so well balanced generally to promote the
normal working and "recreating' lives of men.
There are broad-guage and narrow gauge rail-
roads in operation at Camp Humphreys There
are many army trucks, armored trains, signal
and flash range apparatus; forestry
study NUMBERING bridge laying and all other ia.
cties for training on broad scale.
The very character of the terrain and the ample
timber supply at camp humphreys VIII allow the
development of field Notifications on large scale
md under varied conditions. Roads already avail
able, from footpaths to modern great highways
furnish the fields for the practical study of com.
municaton which forms such an important part
Of the duties of engineering troops in the field
Five miles of standard-gauge railroad and 20
miles of narrow-gauge combat railroads, to-
yether with warehouses and depots cover in all
heir operations the functions of the service OF
supply.
Adequate areas for target practice and for the
Use of gas are already developed The water
supply is plentiful and of excellent quality. The
Innate Is healthful, and mild enough to make field
work practicable during the entire year An area
en- miles square Is large enough for maneuvering
arge bodies of troops and Is sufficiently varied In
haracter to the wide range of field cond-
IONS including fiat, open country rolling ground
iooded areas valleys and ravnes.
Camp Humphreys will be engineer school, a
ERIN which is used to embrace all the phases of
ngineering training There will he an institution
Or post graduates of the military academy and
civil institutions to prepare them for the work
the corps of engineers. The course Will require
80 years and win cover many subjects which can
g grouped under these heads: Military, military
lgineering, civil engineering. electrical and me-
lanical engineering
There will be cadet school for the completion
trimming of cadets who have not completed the
III course at the military academy; school for
serve and National Guard officers; school for
ne officers Il correspondence school for reserve
ID National Guard officers. covering the duties
engineer officers of the various branches OF the
serve and National Guard. Naturally large