The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 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 i'm the service. despite the calls of
their business in civil life to forward the project
which has its essential element military plus
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 / wit
messed the presentation of diplomas to go young
second lieutenants Of the army who after II 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 it will be that this
school at Observation-Disclosures has beens in
operation for some time.
Even in its 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 blacksmithng, in railway construction and
railway operation, in electricity, and in fact in
all branches of industry which are serviceabe in
civil life as in the army. The completion of the
school ms outlined will give to officer regular,
reserve or National Guard, and to the enlisted man
that roundabout vocational education which it
will be difficult to get elsewhere.
Here is every necessary manufactured product
of the time. Everything that engineering in
genuity has produced is here, might say,
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 for money and the probability is that
it will be forthcoming. No knows today
whether the United States is to have any form Of
universal military training not, but if the de-
csion shall be in its favor young men who from
year to year enter their countrys service for field
training will be given opportunity to benefit by
a training mt this Potomac school,
The students who thus far have been under in
structon 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
tionhand 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 or trade or business which they
might enter on return to civil life. 1t has been
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 "recreatng' lives of men.
There are broad-guage and narrow-gauge rail-
roads in operation at Camp Humphreys There
many army trucks, armored trains, signal,
searchlight and flash range apparatus; forestry
study, numbering, bridge laying, and all other ia
cilities 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 a large scale
and under varied conditions. Roads already avail
able, from footpaths to modern great highways,
furnish the fields for the practical study of
muncation which forms such 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-
gether with warehouses and depots cover in all
their 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
climate is healthful, and mild enough to make field
work practicable during the entire year. An area
ten miles square is large enough for maneuvering
large bodies of troops and Is sufficiently varied in
character to cover the wide range of field condi-
tions, including fiat open country, rolling ground.
wooded areas, valleys and ravnes.
Camp Humphreys will be engineer school,
term which Is used to embrace all the phases of
engineering training. There will be IN institution
for post graduates of the military academy and
OF civil institutions to prepare them for the work
of the corps of engineers The course will require
two years and will cover many subjects which can
be grouped under these heads: Military, military
engineering civil engineering, electrical and me-
chancal engineering
There will be cadet school for the completion
of training of cadets who have not completed the
full course at the military academy; school for
reserve and National Guard officers school for
lire officers correspondence school for reserve
and National Guard officers, covering the duties
of engineer officers Of the various branches Of the
reserve and National Guard. Naturally a large