The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-14

general at Camp Travis, Texas, writes
When / was assigned to this division
last winter, on my return from France. /
looked on the new educational requlre-
ment in the service as one of those tleeting
fads of which we have so many times been
the victims in the 81 years | have worn
the uniform. | approached 1t with the
intention of carrying out the orders to the
best of my ability. vt with doubt as to
the wisdom of the pG.4cy. and much Skcp-
ticiSm as to the possibility of combining
it with the necessary military training
except to the disadvantage of the latter.
| have changed my views and l not only
believe the educational and vocational
work to be permissible in the army, but
emiuently desirable"
Brig. Gen. George Bell, ir.. commanding
general at Camp Grant, Illinois. writes A.:
Educational and recreation work is pro-
duCing wonderful results for the country
and the army and nothing in this present
generation has accomplished aS much.
These statements are borne out by the sur
prise and qualification expressed by prom
Inent business men and others who have
visited Camp Grant schools. as well rs by
the testimony of college men"
Mai. Gen. David &. ShankS. of the
First Corps area. Boston, writes Two
years ago congress made its first appro-
p~riatiOn for the establishment of educa-
tional and vocational training i'm our army.
/ have served more than 40 years in the
army, ana 1 ItEdlu tUc appropriation ibE
educational and vocational training as the
most important, beneficial and far-reach-
Ing of all appropriations.
Major General Billiard of the Second
Corps Area, Governors Island. y. y.
writes this The system of
education and vocational training intro
duced into the army in the last two or
three years. as shown by my own expert
enceS with parents of enlisted men. has
helped 10 remove "A former prejudice
asruTrat .rrwrrtI. -. Af.L Co., g. nns...V -
pe1S that have come under my eye Indicate
that the parents Of minors who have en-
listed in the army afe much more willing
now TO see their sons routinue i'm the SER
vice for the sake of the clean recreation
and education they are now receiving" =
The foregoing series of comments from
the veteran officers of the American army
were not written for publication, butt they
give a blrdseye view of how the new plan
Is being received. Some Of the old gem
erals who have been shouting for big APP
preparations for this or that purpose say
frankly that if anything * to be cut it
should not be appropriation for education
and vocational training.
But that's not the difficulty. Congress
probably Will recognize the value of the
plan. The new development Is that by
cutting down the size of the army the
detail work at the army posts will increase
Tor the men left in the service and they
VIII not have as much time for study.
RAN the ehllSfed men are IN schools now
ana at least 80 per cent of those who en-
list ask for education and say it is their
chief reason for entering the service. The
cost of recruiting has therefore been cut
down from 800 a man to $40 a man and
there is a big waiting list. >The question
is whether congress viii take advantage
of the opportunity to reach thousands of
alien adults, as well as American born.
who for one reason or another have i'm
their youth been deprived of education.