The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-08-26
What Is the r. O.T.C.?
BY THURRER LEWIS.

CIDE by side with the general propa-
- ganda and military activity In
volved in the Citizens Military Train
ing Camps, the colleges, universities
and high schools of the country are
being converted into veritable bar
racks. The extent of military train
ing in schools and colleges in the
United States is not generally known.
But the work of the War Department
and its lingo civilian assistants goes
Systematically and quietly forward on
practically every campus in the coun.
try.
The medium thru which the War
Department operates in it's work is the
Reserve officers Training Corps. Like
the G. M. T. c., the r. o. T. c was
founded by act Of congress in 1920.
The particular bill was an amendment
to the National Defense Act of 1916
authorizing the president to establish
and maintain civil educational insti-
tutions."
But scholastic military training
started in this country before that. AS
long ago as 1852 there was passed in
congress the Morrill, Land Act that
gave land to colleges on condition
1 that they devote their teaching par
ticularly to agriculture and mechan-
les. The act also required that these
colleges give military training. How
ever, until the war, the law was not
taken very seriously and the military
training taught in these so-called
Land Grant Colleges" was generally
of an inocuous kind.
Government Requirements.
THE R. o. T. C. is entirely different.
= 1t consists of serious and scien-
ttfic military training. No unit is set
up in any school unless there is one
or more officers Of the regular army
to direct the course. In the larger
schools military starr is installed
composed of as many as 20 regular
army officers. This is the case at the
Universities of Ohio and Illinois. The
War Department assigns the military
faculties at the head of which is a
professor Of military science and tao
tics" Unless the school agrees to
maintain two years course and that
such q course shall be obligatory up-
on every student over IA years of age.
the War Department will not give the
institution its attention.
During the school season 192425I
there were 226 educational institu-
lions giving military instruction in the
United States. For these R. o. T. C.
units, congress set aside almost
$4,OO0,000. The total number of stu
dents taking military training was
over $1,000.
The War Department assigned 7es
officers and 1,064 enlisted men whose
salaries were paid by the department
to devote their entire time as mem
bers Of the military faculties of these
226 schools, 124 of which were col
leges, So high schools and 80 military
academies.
Make Them Officers.
THE course in the R. o. T. C. is di-
vided into junior and senior divis-
ions. In the junior division in prepar-
atory and high schools, a student is
required to take at least three hours
per week in drill and military instruc-
ton and in the senior division, five
hours is required This division of time
is established by the Defense Act. A
student is required to agree to con-
tinue the course for at least two years.
Upon completing the seven years of
the course, in mhich a considerable
amount Of time must also be devoted
to summer camp training, the stu
dant ir nlinillo snr $4,000. L. -