Evening star., 1940-07-23
Vocational Trainino
For Defense Starts;
Glasses Nearly Full
School Officiols Believe
Work WiII Be Valuable
In Case Of Emergency

A ''little learning" may be a
dangerous thing" but school ON
cials expressed the conviction today
that earnest application by those en-
rolled in the Districts special voca-
tional training classes will prove val
liable if the Nations defense ma
chinery is ever turned on at full
blast.
This observation was made In re-
ply to skepticism that . man can
absorb much knowledge Of mechan-
les in six weeks. Glasses will be
conducted at two senior high and
three vocational schools here.
Training started at 3 O'Clock this
morning at Mckinley and Arm
strong High Schools and at the
Phelps. Abbott and Chamberlain
Vocational Schools. Up to noon
many of the classes were Allied, and
by tomorrow 1t is expected the 900
trainees for whom equipment Is
available will have signed.
L. ]. Cantrell, assistant superin-
tendent of schools, said the w. P. A
already had assigned its quota OF
800 men, and the District Employ
ment Center was not far behind
Machine Shops Hum.
At Mckinley the machine and
auto shops hummed with activity
As old and young men-all with some
previous experience. divided theil
time between theoretical and prac.
tical training with tools such a.
those used at the Navy Yard.
1t was emphasized by instruc-
tors that the machines are the same
used to train Navy Yard appren.
tices. In the auto shop, however
it was noted that antiquated motors
were being used.
A spectator-a retired Army ma.
jor-suggested it would be more ad.
vantageous to have the students dc
their experimenting on airplane
motors discarded by the Govern.
ment as obsolete but which would
serve for dismantling purposes.
Two mechanical drawing classes
also we're being conducted at Nc
Kinley. There were more than 4C
enrollees, ranging in age from IL
to 50.
Welding Classes Offered.
The activity at Abbot was even
more intensive, with practically all
classes filled. william D. Wallace
assistant head of the school system s
vocational department. said the men
at Abbott would be trained in arc
and acetelyne welding. cabinet and
metal work. power tool operation
and sheet metal uses.
The only class In aero-mechanics
is offered ut the Phelps School. The
enrolment there also was near ca
pacity, with the same applying to
Armstrong and Chamberlain.
Orders were being taken for sup
plies. While waiting for the neces-
sary equipment. instructors were told
to make use Of what the school
stocks.
officials said the trainees will be
graded at two weeks intervals. with
wedding out" process following
Those found unsatisfactory will be
dropped and new students taken on
Training TO Go Slowly.
Mr.. wallace said the training
would proceed slowly at first. to give
instructors an opportunity to de-
termine the degree Of experience Of
the students.
THE idea,' he said, "is to build
up the weak points of machinists-
or rather those who have had linn
tied experience with machines. And
we will try. also, to restore the tech
nique Of the skilled workers"
1t was evident some of the men
reporting at Mckinley were not on
strange ground. While the instruc-
tors made arrangements to start the
classes. group of middle-aged men
adjusted belts on machines, called
for oil cans and prepared to brush
up on equipments with which they
obviously we're familiar.