Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-29

| TO 500 graduates, the average class
| having an enrolment of rs TO 100
officers. The instructors at the Wal
College are carefully selected officers
Of field grades gathered from the Army
at large. This faculty now consists OF
| II colonies. lieutenant colonies and
majors. They really play the roles OF
| directors Of study rather than OF reg
ular teachers
The plan OF study Is divided into
| two different systems. One Is the COM
| rnittee system. the other the COM
mander lands plan.
Suppose, for example, that the class
| is 10 study a certain critical campaign
Of the Civil War by the committee
system. A committee Of IL officers Is
appointed 70 collect all facts and fig
ures about that campaign. They pre-
pare a detailed report which event.
uAlly Is presented 10 the class at large.
| Pro and con discussions follow. Only
data which are gubstantiated by fact
survive the subsequent arguments.
The commander and-staf plan OF
study Is quite different Certain stu
dent-oficers are selected as commander
and general stan Of one army. Another
group iE picked for similar service In
Is then staged between the two forces.
This strife is confined 70 map cam
paigns Bits Of different colored card
board pinned on the map simulate
bodies Of infantry. cavalry. artillery or
other armed detAchmenta. The leaders
| shift these forces about as they see nj.
Account L. taken Of typographical con-
diti0ns, obstructing streams, enemy out
posts, the achievements of long-range
artillery. smoke screens, attacks from
the air and all allied factors OF actual
warfare. These war games are played
according 10 definite rules and reguia-
! tons under the careful direction OF
expert umpires.
These imitation battles which are
staged al the War College In the map
campaigns save the United States Gov
eminent potential millions In money
and great toll In lives. OfYleers who
play the roles 81 leaders In the mimic
campaigns sometimes make strategic
mistakes. Euch mistakes, II made In
actual warfare. would be extremely
costly. One Of the unwFitten laws iT,
/ military leadership is never u make
the same mistake twice" The student
officers VINO make misplays and errors
/ IN the war games learn by experience,
and do not duplicate such miscuss and
fuHbles when brought face " face
with similar conditions on the actual
| battlefield.
I The incaIcnlable benefits Of these
war games extend " every branch u
| military defense. for officers u the
| Organized Reserve. National Guard and
! Marine Corps ~ well as the Regular
/ Amy are students at the War College.
! -Four of I'VE officers of the u. " Navy
are graduated from the War College
annually.
This intercourse NJ ideas and meth.
! DDS strengthens the cooperation be-
! tween Army and Navy.
The f1fty National Guard and hs-
ssTye officers enrolled annually al the
War College remain for periods ~ six
! weeks sHd do not take the full course,
"OffiesT and man alike" said Presi-
/ dent Roosevelt IN his dedieatory sd-
/ dress III the War College. must be
trained Ia both the theory and practice
! u their profession They must have
such training 81 they never can reach
nigh standard Of perfeettgn The
. Army u the United States IL, and II ia
! moi dssirebie that IL shQyid be other,
use. - small army Fkstigs " ths