The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-19

SOLDIERS FAVOR
ARMY TRAINING
Selective Service Men Are
Strong for Introduction
of the System
UNIVERSAL SERVICE
FOR SIX MONTHS TERM
Would Have All Boys IS Years Old In
cluded-S Sentiment Secured BY Send
ing QUESTIONABLE to Soldiers-Large
Per Cent Appreciate Training.

FER Cent Appreciate
WASHINGTON, March 19..QTer
whelming endorsement of universal
military training system, coupled with
equally strong support for the exist
ing disciplinary relationship between
officers and men of the army. was ex-
pressed by representative group of
the seleetive service men of the l2tn
division, Camp Devens, Mass, just
before that organization was demobil-
lied last January The opinion of the
men numbering 1880, with an average
length of service of l0.7 months, We're
obtained through carefully arranged
QUESTIONABLE system, with every safe
guard provided to insure absolutely
free expression of opinion, and with
such distribution in the division as TO
make the answers representative.
The report on the inquiry was made
public at the war department. It Is
headed:
seOur military system as it appeared
to American citizen soldiers:
were rated as dissatisfied with milis
tarv life, the report shows that S9.5
| per cent of the replies expressed the
soldiers belief that he personally had
benefited by his army life, 70 per cent
were glad of their training aside from
feelings of patriotism, and IS per cent
favored universal military training as
national policy 4 substantial ma
jority disapproved the social mixing
of the rank and file.
The largest number of suggestions
as TO improvements in the service re
ceived had to do with better fitting
/ uniforms or changes in mess arrange
| ments.
L There were more than 10000 men il
the 18th division at the time of the in
quiry, representing AZ states. The or
1 ganization was awaiting orders 70
H France when the armistice was signed
It then suffered more than two month
/ of waiting for rehabilitation befor
the qnestionnaires were sent out, an,
the officers who devised and supervise,
the inquiry point out that ii was thu
calculated TO reflect army morale at il
lowest ehb
Every provision was made TO n.
certain the views of discontented me
] in order that the results might hay
real value to the army.
The commanders of so eompanie
were furnished with IS QUESTIONABLE
each and instructed to give them 1
six mon of high intelligence and rate
as good soldiers, to six others of equ,
1 intelligence. but supposed to be disco1
4 tented with army life to three goo
soldiers of average intelligence and
three others Of average intelligent
who had indicated views hostile |
military discipline. The men WEI
told to submit their answers only ii
{ mediately upon or after discharge so I
( fear of subsequent action by their of
/ GERS would impede the free expressie
4 of their views
4 Ten questions were submitted eat
respecting what was to be gained fro
4 the service, as TO the discipline que
4 tions T67 answered it was necessal
against 135 who held it unnecessar,
o95 said it was not harsh against lao
I opposite view; 27S said 1t was dem
1 cratic and 155 the opposite and |!
I held that ii depended on the officer. ]
the individual answers was found III
I teria1 which prompts the report
I state that many criticisms were dire
j ted against the overbearing mann
seen in some Of the. young officers
One soldier said: alt all depends
how much brains God gave the officer
4 and another said: We have to ha
4 discipline in the army, but not Ii
4 some of the 90-day Heutenants think
III On universal military training t
answers were emphatic. OF 1880 ]
plies turned in 1,123 were fatty in
vor. Good citizenship, physical benet
and character building were the chi
reasons of APPROVAL assigned.
The largest number of men maxi
recommendations as to the form
service, urged six months as a sufficie
4 period and thought it should be Civ
during the 18th year. In expressing h,
3 they would look on their service. o
men represented feelings of pride
= pleasure or both. while l62 merely S;
they wore not Sorry -