Evening star., 1926-06-13
MILITARY TRAINING
ADVANCES IN JAPAN
Act Puts $500, Subject
| to CaII-475,0 900 Now
& Taking Instruction.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

3. taxing INSTRUCTION.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
Japan is setting a splendid example
to the United States with regard tt
military training in schools, colleges
and universities. A very extensive eX
pansion of the scheme has just beer
put into force by Japan. 1.-The young
mems training act" passed the Die1
at the recent session and was officially
promulgated in April. With previous
, laws, which took effect in April, 1925,
1t is estimated that there are nearly
100000 Japanese youths, between
the ages of 16 and 20, subject to mill
tary training at a time. Japan has
not conceived the system in spirit
of militarism. The young mems
training act' just come into operation
sets forth that it has in view 1.-THE
physical and moral training of the
young men in general. for the i'm
provement of public citizenship.
A year ago the universal military
training act" provided for units, OF
which there have now been eStab-
lished 1,134 among the 1,164 schools
in which training may be given.
Under this law systematic COM
pulsory military training was started
ia Cll SCIOOlS dDONe lIl6 SlAtil SEduG
The training is voluntary in private
schools. In December, 1925, there
were Lila active army officers and
some reserve officers assigned to
training duty in the schools. 1t is
estimated that today there are ap-
proXimately 475,000 young japanese
taking military training, divided as
follows:
University students ........ a1,000
Commercial and Technical School oo
AsricqltuTe and Fisheries School l''ooo
Middle School iour Junior High ~o'ooo
School and High SCHOOL, students 100000
Total 475,OOO
IL to 3 Hours a Week.
The course consists of one and one
half to three hours instruction per
week and four to six days each year
in field training. To this might prop
erly be added some training in bay
onet fencing, which has always been
a popular sport in Japan. Training
at first is of the most elementary sort,
but advances in the third year to a
stage where rifle craftsmanship is
taken up. "A young man just enter
ing middle school and continuing
through the university would receive
10 or more years of training. In the
university and senior schools training
includes leadership, group instruction.
lectures, field duties and outlines of
war history.
The Japanese stress the educational
feature of their military training in
schools and the government depart
ment of education actually supplies
some of the funds for maintenance of
the system. The army supplies the
instructors, equipment, some cloth
ing, and appropriations of about ST.
100000 a year. School teachers are
usually trained in the army and many
are reserve officers.
The Young Mems Training Act"
will officially become operative on
July l of this year. 1t applies to all
young men between the ages of 16
and 20, except those taking training
in schools. Although service is vol
untary, those not taking this training
may be called up for conscript serv-
ice for the full terms as soon as they
reach the age of 20. 1t is noteworthy
that the administration of the Young
Mems Training Act" an entirely new
departure in Japan, will be controlled
by the department of education and
not bN the military authorities.
Covers Four Years.
The course covers four years, in
which there are 500 hours of training.
OF this 400 hours is military drill, 200
hours elementary education, 100 hours
business training and 100 hours ethics
and citizenship. Credit will be given
those taking the course when called
tG the colOrS under the japanese con-
scription law. 1t may result in short
ening the terms of conscript service
from nearly two years to something
less than a year and half. Under
certain special conditions, where
young man may be already qualified,
elementary education and business
training may be dispensed with. But
there is no exemption for any student
in ethics, citizenship or military drill.
The act applies to those youths in
age categories which will make UP
four annual classes, or about 2,300,-
600 at a time. AS some 400, 900 will
already be taking training in schools
or be physically unfit for training,
there will probably be only a round
100000 young men simultaneously
subject to the provisions of the act.
It will not be long before the two
laws herein discussed will put 2,500,-
900 Japanese youths under pre-con-
scription training.
Although Japan maintains con-
scription, she has consistently been
cutting down her military establish
ment since the Washington confer
ence. Originally the period of mill
tary service was three years for all
arms. This was reduced to two years
for infantry, then to two years for
all arms. Finally, following the Wash
ington conference, service in all arms
was reduced to l year, 10 months
and 90 days. The Japanese army,
since the conference, has reduced it's
budget about 90 per cent, and the
number of men on active army serv-
ice about 33 1-3 per cent.
Public FavOrs Plan
!. There has been some opposition to
the military training laws in Japan,
but public opinion on the whole
favorS the system on the ground that
1t is breeding future generations CO
better Japanese citizens.
It is a circumstance that has not
passed unnoticed in Washington that
DR.. Sidney L. Gulick, who made the
recent report to the Federal Council
of Churches against military training
in American schools and colleges, is
an executive official of the prominent
American group which is trying to or
ganize public opinion in favor of re-
peal of the japanese immigration ex-
cluSion law.
copyright. 1920
Wives File SHIFTS.