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

During the great war, you see, officers found
that altogether too many of their men were IL
%literates. Moreover, One-third of the national
forces had to be given mechanical training in Or
der to carry on the work Of the army. Warfare
has become so complicated in this advanced age
that ability to fix a stalled mule Is not enough.
A few wallops on the nose may repair the latter,
but an auto engine requires more expert treat
ment.
So the education and recreation branch Of the
war plans division was instituted with a total OF
$4,5OO,OOO to operate on in the next II months.
Its business will be to take the "fP' out OF all
i~lliterate recruits and to give the rest of the en-.
listed men training In any vocation they may
choose. In this way, according to the theory, mil.
itary efficiency Will be increased and the soldier
will leave the army prepared to enter industry or
or farm as a responsible citizen.
Says Maj. Bernard Lentz Of the general staff
corps:
Intensive vocational work will be done In the
winter months, while the summer will be dedi-
Gated to drilling and maneuvering. This school
work Will not cncroach on the military program
of the army, for 1t will merely use up the time
which used to be given over to bunk fatigue UNI
der an eight-ho,r day."
There is a different attitude toward the enlisted
man under the new plan, according to Maj. Ed
mund II. Andrews, who will be in charge of the
education and recreation work at Camp Grant.
His self-respect Will be increased" he says,
"and the civilian will also respect him. We want
to get the idea out Of the civilians head that a
soldier Is a hard-boiled bum"
And now let us take a look around the drab
wooden houses which were used as barracks dur
Ing the mobilization. Camp Grant, as one of the
nine corps areas in our country, will be the school
center for the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, and
Michigan.
In a classroom we find a dozen or more boys
in o. d. blouses sitting at desks. Up in front is
a civilian instructor. One of the soldiers is read
ing aloud. 1t is a vigorous narrative about a ball
game. with plenty Of healthy slang and a Babe
Ruth ending.
In another room of the same building we find
n platoon Of men taking a spelling lesson under
the guidance Of Miss JEANNE Polk.
Another building. Here are a collection OF gas
vehicles, from motorcycles to caterpillar tractors.
They are in various stages of dismemberment.
Here and there we see a blue denimed soldier
t,nkering with the intestines Of an engine.
Other soldiers are being taught business meth
DDS. On a model dairy farm Uncle Sam Is train
ing agriculturists and 80 on, all through the camp
and the other camps like It
The greatest Americanization work the normal
Graduates will perform this winter will be taking
tho uiterate soldier recruits, of which there are
many. and teaching them to speak, read and
write English.
once nj a great exposition in a foreign land, an
American stood watching the troops Of all nations
90 by on parade, SO the story goes. A foreigner
food beside the American pointing out the sol
d,ers of the various countries and their flags. He
aid: "Those are the English troops and that is
the flag of the king; those are the German SOL
d,ers and that is the flag of the kaiser; those are
the japanese troops. and that Is the flag OF the
mikado: those are the soldiers Of Russia and that
q the flag of the car" Presently, as the Ameri-
can troops approached. flying the Stars and
s,ripes. marching to the tune of the Star-Spangled
banner. the American spoke for the first time, and,
turning to his foreign friend, he said:
.And those are the American soldiers and that
Is my flag; not the flag of any king, not the flag
of any car, not the flag Of any kaiser, but my
flag and the flag of every man, woman. and child
IN INV great country, the land Of the free"
So II is-and SO we should make II.