The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-27
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

THERE is plenty of talk about the danger OF
Il Fascism coming to the United States. But
most of those who are fearful OF its advent
amongst us look for spectacular manifestations
in the form of some American man on horse
back" or the rise of an overwhelming American
mob following in the wake of some one like Huey
Long or Father Coughlin.
They overlook much more subtle and sinister
developments which require no morbid magma
ton to be interpreted as manifestations of Fas-
csm sneaking up behind us in the dark. FasciSm
is much more likely to ferret its way into this
country in such subtle and devious ways than to
win by mass or frontal attack upon American
institutions.
quasi-Fascst development which will bear
watching is the expansion of the R. 0. I. G.
This miltarization of our education was bad
enough when confined to colleges and universe
ties. 1t helped to beget a militariStic and I'M
reasoning type of mentality and an intolerance
which has manifested itself in such ways as the
recent violence against the anti-war paraders i'll
many institutions which maintained r. o. T. G.
units.
Now drive is being made for great eXpan-
sion of the r. O. T. c. in high schools, where
junior units are to be established Since it is a
farce to expect the training of efficient officers
in high schools it is quite obvious that this latest
move of the War Department is primarily ges-
ture OF propaganda and military psychology.
THE danger in all this has been set forth in
Il clear and timely fashion by the Committee
on Militarism in Education:
Junior r. o. T. C. units have not been and
can not be considered vital to adequate ma
tional Defense These units are sought and
maintained by the War Department almost
solely for their propaganda, or so-caled educa-
tional' value. This was made clear in an article
written by Major w. w. Edwards and published
in The Infantry Journal. In that article Major
Edwards said
~ \
The first is so obvious as to need no comment,
that of training officers and men for the reserve
forces; its second function, while no less inc
portant, is less apparent, and therefore some
times overlooked entirely, that of training the
popular public mind to the necessity and needs
of defense.
1.-The Junior R O. T. c. fulflls the first mis-
sion indirectly, and for the second, I believe,
there is no greater or better agency at our COM
mand. The high school boy in his sophomore
year is in his most plastic and enthusiastic
stage. He is at the age of hero worship and
ldeallsm-once fairly launched upon enthusiasm
Tor the R. o. T. c. he will almost certainly con-
tinue it, either at college or elsewhere. The
Junior R. o. T. c. is the fountain head of mill
tary training, and when he is fourteen . is
Just the psychological time for the boy to begin
1t is his voice (the Junior R. o. T. c. boy
winch Is Ioudest in praise of military training
III ooiiic viewpoint was expressed more re-
Gently by Lieut.. Col. H A. Hill of the G-3
section Of the General Staff. In an article en-
titled Reserve Policies and National Defense
IN the Infantry Journal of January-February,
1885 Lieut.. Col. Hill says it is apparent
That the Junior (R. o. T. c. units should not
be considered producers of Reserve Officers
The great value of the junior unit lies in its
disciplinary and educational possibilities
Though they do not produce reserve officers,
these junior units offer the War Department the
opportunity to inoculate the minds of youth and
the communities in which they live, with a
mllltarlstic nationasm. And this, even in
America, is potential Fascism.
Nov that Congress has appropriated the
funds, II can be expected that the War Depart
ment and its civilian cohorts will launch an
aggressive drive upon schools and colleges all
across the country, urging them to establish
R. o. T. c. units. There is only one way of
blocking this proposed expansion: 1t will have
TO be fought in every high school and college
IN every city and town, which it threatens to
involve"
The committee is quite right. 1t is high time
that reputable and sensible citizens of the United
States should unite to oppose an expensive and
menacing farce which is imperfect as physical
training, un-American in its character build
ing" reactionary and benghted in its teaching
of civics, and utterly inadequate as a training
! for future officers.