The New York herald., 1920-01-04
New Programme to Produce
Sound Bodies and Specially
Educated Minds.
By Major General William G. H.an.

| q
That education and recreation as ap,
piled to the new army have passed ths
experimental stage and are now vital fac.
tors In the training Of the soldier was
shown at convention Of army education.
al officers held at Camp Zachary Taylor
near Louisville. KY, on December o, 10 and
H.
Early in the year. the War Department
actuated by a deep sense Of responsibility
felt toward the millions of men brough,
into the service during the war, as well
by the astounding facts as to illiteracv
and physical condition OF the young men
Of the country as shown by draft statistics
and the excellent work done by the Com
mission on Education and Special Train
ing, had conceived an army built up on
a new plan. 1t was proposed to make the
army not only military force to be
trained and ready in time of national
emergency but a great educational in
stitution where young men OF the best
mental. moral and physical conditions,
and with the highest ideals OF patriotic
citizenship. would be produced.
Congress Appropriates $2,OOO.OOO.
This plan was realized. in a measure.
when the Congress appropriated s2,o00,-
600 for this purpose during 1920. Ac-
cordingly. in September last, instruc-
tlons went forward to the commanding
generals of all divisional camps and of
territorial departments, who at once ap-
pointed on thei, staffs. officers known
as education and recreation officers to
assume direct charge of the work. Each
officer has associated with him at least
one civilian expert in educational af-
fairs who furnishes assistance and ad-
vice in establishing schools and manual
training classes.
But it remained for the Camp Taylor
convention. called by the Secretary Of
War in order that the work in general
might be co-ordinated and rough places
smoothed out. to show that the army is
now In reality great training school
which the mothers Of our young Ameri-
cans will be glad to see their boys enter.
! This idea Of the army as vast uni
versity in khaki is admittedly hard to
conceive, but nevertheless the thing has
been accomplished right before our eyes.
| No longer is the army merely con-
1 cerned with the making OF recruit into
an efficient fighting man, by giving
/ him the prescribed system of military
training only for n few hours OF the
day and leaving him ALMOST entirely to
! his own resources for the remainder OF
] the day. II now assumes responsibility
| for the entire twenty-four hours of his
day and sees that every portion Is spent
in useful study or helpful recreation. In
the soldiers life education and recrea-
tion now have equal places with mill
tary training and are definitely sched-
uled In the programme of daily work.
To Create Initiative.
All training, whether purely military or
educational, has as its main object the
development OF the soldiers mind to make
him a responsible thinking human being
Every soldier, however poorly he may be
educated or however limited his expert
! ence. has still n thinking mind. and that
mind Is active practically all the time
Such a man is perhaps incapable at the
moment of looking at affairs in a broad
sense. but the object of all training must
be to guide that mind in the direction OF
! right thinking.
| In developing the soldiers mind the
most rapid progress is made by placing
upon tne man, as early as practicabie, as
much responsibility as he can stand. This
placing of responsibility on the man stimu-
lates his pride. raises his self-rcspect and
urges him to better effort. This is ap-
plicablc in all kinds of training 1t is
character building, frequently called
moral training, and the most effective
means of stimulating self-development.
! Every soldier, down to and including the
last recruit. will sooner or later become
leader in smaller or greater sense.
! In battle. as battles are now necessarily