Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-07-10
DR.. BENTON HOME FROM
EUROPEAN SERVICE
Former President of University
Completes Work as Educa-
tional Director Of Army Of
Occupation - Favors Military
Training of Young Americans


lenz. Germany, whose resignation as
president of the University Of Vermont
was accepted at commencement time by
the trustees, arrived in Burlington last
night from New York city. where he
landed from the transport Great North
ern from Brest, France, on Monday,
July 7. Director Benton receives his
official discharge from the army on July
"a and expects to take vacation OF
several weeks duration, after which he
will enter upon a new line Of work. the
nature of which he did not care to dis
close last night.
Accompanying DR.. Benton on the trip
homeward which by the way was the
return Of the record breaking trip to
France and back by the transport Great
Northern. she making the trip over and
back in II days, one hour and IS min
utes. was Major F. w. Hackett,
U. " NJ II, chief school officer Of the
Army Of Occupation, Roy D. Sawyer.
U. v. M. u general secretary Of educa-
tional work with the Army Of Occupa-
ton. and Miss Mildred Best, Y. v. NJ,
II, from st. Adams, who has been the
private secretary to DR.. Benton. she
being in the army service and one Of
the few women to be thus enlisted.
uniform and appeared to be in excellent
health. although looking a little tired
from his strenuous service. He wore
gold chevrons, denoting service abroad
for % months to day from yesterday.
He left Burlington on September Q, 1917.
for Y NJ. c. A. work in France and
continued in that service until last JAM
uary, when he was made director of edu-
cation in the Third Army. or the Army
of Occupation. as ii is more Familiarity
known. During the % months DR.. Benton
has had but three months leave Of
absence.
II think that the Germans and the
German government will try to carry
out their part in the peace terms as laid
down by the allied governments" an
swered DR.. Benton in response to
a query as to his opinion relative
to the possibility of Germany falling to
carry out the terms "She is able to carry
them out" continued Dr. Benton. with
out any inconvenience to herself" I'm
der the peace terms said DR.. Benton.
there is TO be a standing army of allied
men for a period of Il years in Germany.
and I think that this will have a good
moral effect on the government. SO far
as ] have been able to ascertain | don't
many men for that standing force, proba-
bly, not more than a regiment or brigade
at the most. Nobody knows just now what
will happen
Speaking of his work, after being ques-
toned as to what it was. the educator said
that he was in complete charge of the
Third Army Educational Work. with
only Brigader-General r. ]. Rees over
him. He had 100000 men in the army to
care for educationally and operated 4SS
schools in the army district, employed
2,310 teachers and had 24,s74 students.
The studies pursued included bookkeep-
ing. craftsmanship. commercial law. COM
| mercial arithmetic commercial English,
shorthand. penmanship. accounting. Eng
lish, mechanical drawing, art-life, art
| antique, Spanish, German. French, alge-
bra. commercial art arithmetic, geom-
etry, trigonometry, calculus, Journalism.
modern history, gas engines, agriculture,
economics. civics and social science. sur
veying. mechanics, advertising, drafting,
hlacksmithing. barbering, carpentry. bak-
ing and cooking, Office practice, plumbing,
American history, pu0hc speaking.
psychology. electrical engineering, geo.
graphy physical geography and electrical
theory.
ne Iuea was 10 III tHe men OIL tIie army
for their return to civil life to make
them better citizens, give them better
and broader understanding as to the
ways of modern citizenship in the great
republic and, above all, to act as a bar
rier in the path OF Bolshevism and all
of the ''isms'' that are raging and MAX
ing Europe very unstable and unsafe
place to live in these days.
! On January l. 1919, the Third Army had
| 99o9 illterates. that is members of its
| personnel who could not read an English
| newspaper or write letter so that the
censor could read ii ana get the meaning.
! These lliterates We're picked out by
tests and made TO attend school
! two hours each day. studying
reading and writing of the English
language. On June S, 1919, out of
1929 illterates. there had been devel-
oped S6lS persons who could ntelli-
gently read the New York Herald and
could write a letter of commendable
! English. The other army personnel
members who wished could take up
any subject in the list. going to school
Ave hours each day. Following their
schooling they were examined and hum
dreds passed with excellent marks.
A letter from General Pershing to
/
Army compliments the members of the
educational corps. officers. etc, for the
remarkable showing that the students
! in the school made and thanks the edu-
cation corps members for the energy
they put into the work to make it a
success.
/ Another letter received by DR.. Ben
ton personally from Brig Gen. r. /,
Rees. commanding the educational de-
partment of the Third Army, reads as
follows:
France, June 23, 1919.
Mr.. Dear DR.. Benton:
! cannot permit you to return to the
United States without receiving an ex-
preston from me of the heartfelt ap-
probation for the splendid and highly
constructive work which you have ac-
complished as educational director Of
the Third Army.
There was no more difficult educa-
tional problem in the A. e. F.. than
that for which you were responsible,
but by your fine tact, good judgment,
energy and fne cooperation, you built
up a school system In the Army of Oc-
cupation which will be a life long bene-
fit to the students in these organiza-
tions and should be a source Of pride
and satisfaction to you that you were
the leader in this great work.
Very sincerely yours,
, r. l. REEFS,
Brigadier-General, G. s.
G. S. Education.
! One of the special features of the