Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-03-13
ARMY OFFICERS

In CONNECTION with every suggestion
for q permanent army in this country.
no matter on what basis, there are to
DO noted expressions of Tear lest the
country is going to be placed at the
mercy of a military caste. Sugges-
tons for the inauguration of military
training for prospective officers at
the colleges of the country brings
forth many Of these expressions, and
the substance of them is that because
only \ small proportion Of the youth
of the country are able to attend COL
leges, and these children of the COM
parativeY wealthy, it army officers
are to be selected from this group.
the inevitable result VIII be the crea-
ton Of a class, or caste, which VIII
be the basis of a dangerous and Of
fenaive aristocracy.
The. military caste is not a good
thing for any country. We ave seen
something Of what it has done for
Germany, and while Germany was the
most horrible example that we had.
other examples less extreme were to
be found in other countries, and the
general experience has been such as
to warn people against the elevation
of the military power into anything
approaching an influential govern
mental group
The fact remains, however, that we
must have an army of some sort, and
if it is to be an effective army, able
to cope with the emergencies for
which 1t is created, it must be officer
ed by men trained in their profess
sion. Military science demands of the
army officer q great deal of exper.
knowledge which can be obtained
only through a long and careful
course of training. 1t Is possible to
transform a group Of raw recruits into
a good fighting body of infantry
in q few months if the proper oppor-
tunfties are at hand, and are improv-
ed, but the man possessing only the
r%udinents OF a common school edu-
cation cannot-be developed to the high
stage OF efficiency required for an Of
ficer in an similar time. Aside from
ability to direct the activities OF other
men, the army officer must possess
the equivalent of an advanced college
education in several branches. For
this reason the college education and
military training go naturally togeth-
er. The raw. uninstructed private
who has had no opportunity TO edu-
| cato hippon1f oonr1 ha@r-o n o4~DnL
tent army officer. He must have the
b sis of a good education to begin
with and he must follow it up with
intensive study in the particular lines
in which his activity is expected to lie.
There is no business more highly spe-
whether we like it or not, the men
who r to guide activities in any
possible warfare in which we may be
engaged must be highly educated
men. FL.
The caste idea, however. is one
which need not disturb US greatly.
We need an army relatively small,
and we need a body Of officers rela-
lively large in order hat there may
be sufficient material upon which to
draw in a crisis. But under no con-
ceivable circumstances is the numbe,
Of officers likely to be such thai We
need fear that they will trample the
rights of civilians under their feet
Ours is a civilian government with
the military power in all respects su-
coordinate to the civil, and there ia nc
possibility that this position will be
reversed. N-4