Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1920-05-15
5000 MEN join
ARMY WEEKLY
At Present Rate of Enlistment
the 254, 900 Personnel Will
Soon Be Filled.
SOLDIERS NOW LEARN TRADES
Military Organization Becoming Vast
Trade SchooI-"Earn While You
Learn" Is Popular-New Re-
cruiting Policy.

Washington.-Surm the In
| roads of rehabilitation, the recruiting
campaign begun early this year has
brought the total strength of the reg
ular army to within $4,000 Of the 1884,
900 personnel authorized under the ma
tional defense act of 1916. according
to latest war department figures. If
the present rate Of enlistment Is main
tanned throughout the year, and nearly
5000 men are being accepted week
Iy, it will more than balance losses
through expired enlistments furlough
to the reserve and other causes.
Most of these enlistments, recruiting
officers report. are by men anxious to
take advantage of the army's voca-
tional education, an learn while you
learn" system, to fit soldier for a
trade by the time he leaves the, army.
Last year $4,000 men were accepted
service. Nearly half Of the enlisted
men are going to school, and the army
is becoming not university in kha-
XII" but vast military trade school.
Much of the instruction in technical
subjects is given not by officers. but
by civilian teachers, lent to the army
in many cases by corporations desir-
Gus of employing trained men at the
expiration of their enlistment. The
war department has received communi-
cations from concerns who have sent
unframed applicants for employment
to the army for years enlistment
and trade instruction with promises of
jobs at the end of their service.
Farmers, musicians, stenographers,
masons, bookkeepers, pharmacists, me-
chanics Of all kinds, wireless and tele-
graph operators, printers, gas engine
experts, even embalmers. are among
the vocations taught. In large canton
ments barracks are being transformed
into machine shops. laboratories and
school rooms. At Camp Dodge, Ia,
where the Fourth division is stationed,
there is 2OO-acre farm where army
students do practical work in agricul-
ture and stock raising under the d.
rection Of Dean G. B. Waldron Of the
North Dakota agricultural college.
A committee from the Chicago
Church federation visited Camp Grant,
Illinois. the home Of the Sixth divi-
sion-the "Sightseeing Sixth" as its
members In France called their divi-
sion, which hiked from one sector to
another without getting into action.
The committee inspected the divisions
schools and returned to Chicago. re-
porting, 1.-THE aim Of those who have
this work in charge is to train men
so effectively that at the end Of their
three years in the army they cannot
afford to re-enlist."
Teaching Pharmacy to Men.
At Camp Pike, Ark, the home
station Of the Third division. which
won its spurs at the Marine. building
has been erected to house the school
of chemistry. Training in the dispens-
ing and manufacture of drugs will be
given, also instruction in the use of
the microscope for the detection of i'm
purities In drugs. Students who show
the necessary proficiency will be CIV
en- special tutoring for the examina-
lions Of the Arkansas state board.
Formerly. to learn a trade in the
army, a man had to be assigned to
the ordnance or signal corps, the air
service or motor transport corps. Sol
diers in such combat branches of the
service as the infantry had few op-
portunities aside from fatigue duty,
drill, guard duty and "bunk fatigue"
In the new army" men in all branches
of the service not in the field have op-
portunity to learn trades of their own
selection.
Following rehabilitation. when
thousands of men chose to remain in
by recruiting depots. The recruiting
service overlapped to some extent, par
ties sent out by regiments and divi-
sions allocated to certain states COM
peting with established recruiting sta
tons. Then the new system of voca-
by drive for recruits beginning the
middle of last January, and the re-
cruiting service was properly co-ordi-
mated.
Enlistments rose from 1900 for the
week ending January "a to $500 ac-
ceptances weekly the latter part of
March. At present one-third of the
army may be enlisted for one year.
about $1,000 men. Add to this $4,000
three-year enlistments expiring annu-
ally and the total number of men leav-
ing the service annually is 100000. fig
uring on the authorized strength of
254 900 under the national defense act.
The present rate of enlistment should
yield $4,000 annually. a surplus of
5000 over expiring enlistments.
1.-THE campaign begun January 10 Of
this year has been successful In every
respect" said Maj. Samuel A. Green
well Of the recruiting publicity bureau.
which sends out recruiting leaflets to
all army recruiting stations. 'The