The Columbia evening Missourian., 1921-04-09
SPRING DAYS
MAKECADETS
POOR SOLDIERS
Colonel Persons Reports 45l
Applications for Excuse
From Drill in
One Day.
ONLY $50 IN R. 0. t. C.
Large Waiting List at Hospital
on Days Having Afternoon
Formation, Doctors
Declare.

The spring weather Of the last few
weeks seems to enhance very little the
desire Of the members of the r. o. T. c.
to get out and drill in the afternoon. II
applications for excuses from drill tell
any tale, warm afternoons and pleasant
weather on the week-ends are destructive
to army discipline. The other day Col.
W. E. Persons, commandant Of the r. o.
T. c. had on his desk 45l applications
for excuses from drill. There are only
about $50 members Of the r. o. T. c.
There are many students who are
earnest in their excuses and should be
excused. There are lot more that are
just putting out pure bunk and trying
to get by with il" says Colonel Persons
The causes given by the students for ex-
cuse include everything from taking an
afternoon nap and not waking up TO
alleged sickness.
Maj. L. E. Jones said that he never
realized that there were so many faulty
alarm clocks in the world until lately.
1T is favorite reason for cutting drill"
says Major Jones. As the story generally
gees, the student decided to take little
nap in the afternoon. He set the alarm
clock for the proper time. Naturally the
alarm clock failed to go off with the re-
suit that the student slept and missed
drill.
1T used to work." said MAJOR Jones,
but it is getting TO be such a stock rea.
son that few get excused on tina: ground
Another favorite reason given is that
the student was in the formation for drill
but failed to hear his name called and
consequently did not answer.
According to the excuses tina. sre filed
at military headquarters, many parents
urge their sons to visit home on the
weekend. Fifty to hundred urgent calls
from parents each weekend help many
students 10 escape that long drill on
Saturday afternoon.
Whether or not there is drill in the
afternoon has quite a bit 10 do with the
number Of patients that apply at Parker
Memorial Hospital for treatment. A few
days ago the waiting rooms at the hospi-
tai were filed with members Of the r.
q. i. c waiting 10 be treated. A call
was senl 10 r. O.. T. c. headquarters TO
lind out il there was any special reason
Tor so many being sent over. An an
nouncement from headquarters, delivered
to the waiting list, that there would be
no drill that particular afternoon reliev-
ed the situation considerably. Only six
students remained to see the doctors.
Ii is also a common thing for someone
to phone from the rooming house that
a particular student is sick in bed and
cannot attend drill. Records generally
iail TO prove that the student in question
was sick enough TO receive hospital treat. |
ment.
There are many others who cut drill |
and who give their reasons for il. but
do not offer them as excuses. They lust
cui drill and that is all.
One OF the members Of the r. o. t.
detachment here who has soldiered with
the regulars" for good many wears
remarked that these fellows should have
little taste of the real army and the
little exercise they get each afternoon
would not be taken so badly"