The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-06
Frederick Haskin's Letter
tsp-<4a, cozresuondsnce IL
CIVILIAN TRAINING CAMPS
Especial corepondence Of Ths ArEU

7 Besides serving to raise m.
health standard the camDs az
found valuable as Americapizatjoe
centers. There is a prevalent f5a-
that Americanization concerns .oD1-
the foreign born. As a matter ~
fact many a native born citizen bss
| far more limited ideas of his -
sponsibility to the government tba,
an idealiStiC immigrant The miV
tary camp with It's mixture of an
! classes and its preachment of tbs
same creed of AmeriCanization ~
all. is a training school in demoe
racy.
The camps are a part of the IA
tional defense program. This si5s
! of the governments citizen camn
| project is not specially Stressed
now because even the shadov -
war preparation is unpopular. New.
| ertheless. the fact remains tina,
these men and boys who have bean
taught the fundamentals of army
service are a valuable reserve n
the nation. Some military expert,
says that a huge reserve of tbsg
sort would keep US out of war he.
case aggressive nations would rec.
ognize it as formida bic weapon.
The war department hopes To On
large its citizens camp program
When the plans were announced
last spring President Harding said
that he would like to see a com
prehensive system of voluntary
military training established for at
least 100000 young men each wear
Judging by the response from tba
men who are eligible that number
could easily be enrolled If funds
for training them were granted bv
congress. Last year when tia
camps were opened for the first
time. $4,000 applied for admission.
This year there will he a much
larger number of applicants. The
plan is more widely known, and
many of last years campers will 20
back to take another course.
Three Courses Offered.
The training is divided into the
red, white and blue courses. The
red is for men without previous
military training. It gives them a
month of target practice, hiking.
drill, military etiquet, and athlet-
les The white course. for men with
some military experience. teaches
the duties of corporal and sergeant
with instructions in some special
branch of army work One camu
is to specialize in field artillery.
medical branches. and cavalry: an
other in engineering; and others in
coast artillery, aviation and motor
transport service The blue is still
more advanced.
The age limits for the camps are
II to q years. except that men with
prior training in the army, national
guard or organized reserves will be
accepted up to 50 years. The gov
eminent is paying Transportation
and all expenses of training for its
Major General J. L. Hines sums
up the broad scope of the citizens
camps in a few words: The can
1idate will be taught first. how to
serve his country in peace and in
war; second, how to take care OF
his body, build up his health and
live a happy. vigorous life. third.
habits of self-COntrol. TesOurceful-
ness. self-relianCe. and other ele-
ments of manly character. fourth.
precision, and a sense
of order; fifth. cooperation and
team work" According to the gen.
eral. these are five of the most es-
5ential principles of American citi-
zenship.