The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1919-05-28
ARMY OFFICERS ON
new EDUCATION


being in the United States in the near
future if the present plans of govern
ment officials, army officers and pro-
minent civilian educators are realize
ed.
Briefly, it is proposed to make I'm
Gle Sans standing army huge un-
iversity in which the young men of
the country will receive not only ply
steal and military training, but will
be given opportunities to acquire
academic and vocational learning
which might be beyond their reach
in civil life The old days of virtual
wastage OF time which represented
almost blank pages in the life diary
II the soldier will be thing Of the
past Instead of being turned back
into civil life in more helpless state
than when he entered the army he
will be equipped to wage vigorous
fight for his plce in the sum of the
business or professional world.
The possibilities of this plan have
demonstrated in the wonderful work
done during the past few months by
the Educational Commission in the
American Expeditionary Force in
France. Since the signing of the
armistice something like 100000
American soldiers have been appre-
cially benefited by the army schools,
which lave been put within the reach
OF every man and which have pro-
vided facilities to study almost every
conceivable subject, from farming to
philosophy.
Few of the army educators in Fran
ce realized at the outset how great
work they were starting. The avidi-
ty with which the enlisted men and
his officer have seized upon the prof
fered opportunities has astounded
them.
With this object lesson before it,
the army has been inspired to carry
on this work at home in the standing
forces. The project assumes, it is
understood, that the standing army
OF the future will be a comparative
1y large one, and that there may be
a short period Of compulsory train
ing for the youths of the country, al
though the scheme is not dependent
upon the compulsory feature.
, Under the new system all subjects
would be taught, from A. B. C.'s for
the illiterate, up through p
first year of university work. Voca-
tiontl training would naturally form
a most important phase of the pro-
gram. Boys who had had no oppor-
tunity for schooling before entering
the army would be started on their
way and would be permitted a rein
list at the expiration OF their service
Others, who perhaps had finished
high school, would be given chance
to begin their college course so that
there would be no waste of time in
case they were planning to go into
professions or business.
There would be military training,
of course, and the soldiers would be
made as nearly PHYSICAL perfect as
possible A large part of their time,
however, would be devoted, if they so
desired, to improving their minds.
Thus, the army belives, any boy, no
matter what his standing in society.
would be materially benefited by his
period of service with the colors.
Probably the man who would pro
fit most would be the one who had
acquired either no education or had
been forced to leave school at an
early age; for example, New York
East Side boy who has left school to
help support the family and has nc
equipment to enable him to secure
lucrative work and so drifts about in
unskilled labor If he enters the army
he is TO be put to work in the school
housed and fed, and paid a regular
wage which he can send home to his
people. At the end Of the year it is
expected mat he will be proficient
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