New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-10-15

.ht NNf lean.
W. 'TSM "If there is any better way to make
Nh II nv a thorouglrgoing American out of a
WIH W young foreigner without family ties
MN IN who cannot speak our language than
SNRI by his enlisting in the army for our
" MEn educational course, ! would like to
~0V W. know it." says General Harris. Most
IS immigrants are here for the purpose
4 of becoming thrifty citizens, and with
the army pay there is no reason why a young
man cannot be honorably discharged at the end Of
three years with a snug bank account, a working
education, a good trade, and an American heart.
Orders have been sent out by General Harris
concerning the enlistment of young foreigners who
do not speak English and illiterates who desire
education. Glasses in elementary English and 9TH
err grammar school subjects are now organized.
The new schools are at Camp Jackson, S. c.,
Camp Pike, Ark, Camp Grant, ILL.,, Camp Travis,
Texas, and Camp Lewis, Wash. These are recruit
educational centers modelled after the one which
has been so successful at Camp Upton, n. Y, now
transferred TO Camp Dix, n. ].
"An astounding percentage of the men in our
great army of more than 3,560,OO0 in the World
war were illiterates, and 1t was necessary to give
technical training to 100000" says General Har-
rs. an fact, educated men were so scarce that
many regiments at the front We're badly handi-
capped because their best men were taken out
for other duty requiring men of capacity and in
telligence."
Just n year ago the war department issued an
order defining the educational policy for the army,
establishing the university in Khaki" 1t had
two main objects: One was to train technicians
and mechanics TO meet the army's needs and to
raise the soldiers general intelligence in order to
increase his military efficiency. The other was TO
fit the soldier for a definite occupation upon his
return TO civil life.
BY November /, $4,000 men We're enrolled. on
March l the enrolment had reached 100000.
There are now more than 105,000 men taking 107
courses. The promises of the recruiting officers
for the new army are redeemed. Three-eighths
of the soldiers working time OBS hours n YEAR,
in each post is made available for school work.
Any soldier once enrolled for a definite piece OF
work must complete it, since it becomes a mill
tary obligation. In consequence, all types of In
struction are given. To insure for the future an
adequate plan, various preliminary conferences
have been held.
A summer school for teachers is being held to
perfect and standardize courses and methods of
training. Some of the best educational specialists
in the country are there and contribute to the
success of this school.
A majority of the men In the army have not
completed the full grammar school course. They
are, of course, over eighteen. The "applicatory
method" is employed. Each man is given a series
of concrete jobs or projects in technical courses.
The same principle is employed in general educa-
tional courses; q series Of questions are asked,
discussions follow, and each man is required to
write his own answer. These compositions are
corrected and returned. Spelling drills in COM
pliance with this method are employed.
AT Camp Dix. 1,S00 illiterates are being trained
lntensively for three months in English, military
practices. and in subjects that make for good clti-
zenship. Here also the 'applicatory method is
used as far as possible.
Tests for proficiency are being worked out care
fully. The award of certificates as a result OF
these tests viii he made as an additional stimu-
liant. From the experience of the training camps
in the great war. the army as a whole has come
TO believe In this new army education. This in
itself is a guarantee of success.
"One of the chief duties of the new corps Of
~chaplains in the army is TO give sympathetic
aid to the foreign born and TO those who NAV
not be able to protect their own interests" adds
General Harris. "No more valuable service can
be rendered TO the country than TO bring the
young foreigner into the army in the right men,
tai attitude and to send him back TO civilian life
with an ambition to serve his new country there
as well.
The complete success Of our whole program
can be secured only by so influencing a foreigners
environment, military duty, education, amuse-
ments. athletics and religious obseryances that