Evening star., 1940-09-08
-Four Board Members
Hit Compulsory Cadet
Training in Schools
Favor Taking Steps
To Interest More Boys
In Military Work

Four members of the Board Of
Education last night informally re-
jected the suggestion that cadet
corps training be made compulsory,
but said they favor taking some
steps to interest more boys in the
cadet work when school opens Sep
tember %.
Only a minority of the nine
member board was available for
comment, other members being out
of town or unavailable for an
opinion.
Earlier in the week, Assistant
Supt. Chester w. Holmes, in charge
of senior high schools and the
cadet corps, expressed his personal
feeling in favor of compulsory train
ing, but emphasized he expected no
general demand for such a move
and that the board probably would
not adopt such a program without
careful study.
Mr.. Holmes further indicated his
intention to confer with high school
principals on methods of getting
additional volunteer recruits when
the school year opens. First Assist
ant Supt. Garnet Wilkinson, in
charge of the colored school divi-
sion, also indicated support for in
creased recruiting in the ranks of
the colored cadet units.
Program Held Adequate.
Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle, presi-
dent of the board, said last night
she felt the present program offered
in the high schools offered ade-
quate opportunity and that she
thought parents might come to an
increasing appreciation of what the
cadet corps training offers as an
excellent preparation for life even
in peacetime.
Charles D. Drayton, a lawyer
member of the board, said he
thought benefits to be derived from
making the cadet work compulsory
would hardly be sufficient to war
rant it. He pointed out that cadet
uniforms cost money which every
body is not able to afford and that
it would hardly be fair to saddle
parents of all high school boys with
this levy.
1T seems to me that as soon
as you make it compulsory, the
State has to provide the uniforms
and that saddles the expense on
the taxpayers, he said. He added
that he doubted the country had
reached the point where it was
necessary to draft youth.
Col. Hamilton Opposed.
Col. West A. Hamilton, reserve
ofhcer and one of the three colored
members of the board, said that
while he was not sympathetic to
making the work compulsory he did
feel efforts ought to be made to in
terest more boys in the cadet work.
"As an old cadet myself" he
said, "I can't get away from the
feeling that every able bodied boy
ought to take the cadet course-not
necessarily to prepare for war, but
for the good the discipline does him.
I can't favor making 1t compulsory
but do think steps should be taken
to interest more boys"
Mrs. Velma G. Williams, another
colored member of the board. said
she disapproved of making the
course compulsory, pointing out
that many boys now enter high
school at an age and stage in their
development where theys are unable
to cope with the work.
Those guns are heavy" she said.
'T know my youngster had to stop
his cadet work for that very rea-
SON."
Mrs. Williams also said she
thought the cadet work was not as
interesting as it used to be.
Another school official pointed out
that under the present system the
high school boy is given slip ask
ing whether he intends to take the
cadet work. If he does, it was said,
his parents must sign the slip in
dicating their approval. If he does
not, then he automatically must
take some physical training or ath-
letics.