Evening star., 1941-12-07
Army Studies Plan
To Teach Soldiers
Facts About War
New Lecture Program
To Follow Line Already
Tried Out in Britain
By BLAIR BOLLES,

cided that perhaps the time has
come to teach the soldier to think
about warfare.
If plan now terminating at the
War Department gets the final ap-
proval of the high command. lee
turers soon will be appearing regu-
larly at American military posts and
giving stimulating factual talks TO
the men about what is going on in
the world.
Some of the dozen of British Of
flcers assigned to special mission
here probably would be among the
first invited to lecture. These visi-
tors from overseas can tell the
Yankee soldiers out of their own ex-
perience about battle scenes and
naval engagements of the war.
There are men here who faced the
Italians and Germans in Libya.
escaped from Dunkerque raided the
Lofoten Islands or commanded sea
fights on the Mediterranean.
Britain Using Program.
The Morale Division here has been
impressed recently with the ancient
wisdom of Oliver Cromwell the
Roundhead general who. in talking
about his citizens new model
army" remarked that the good
soldier must know what he fights
for and love what he knows" The
morale experts feel that Ito know"
for the American soldier means
knowing what the shooting overseas
Is all about, and that means know
Ing in considerable detail the back
ground OF what goes on today.
A similar program Is already op.
Grating in England, although ap-
parently the War Ministry has KEEP,
quiet about it. The English soldiers
lecture agency Is called the Army
Bureau of Current Affairs. In q
desultory way the American ARMY
has arranged lectures for the soldiers
In the past. but many of them have
been anything but morale builders
Recently Roy Bower, former
American Consul in Munich. spoke
at Fort Belvoir, Va, about the in
EQUITIES of the Germans and called
for the leveling of Berlin to the
ground by an American Expedition
ary Force. The soldiers talking
among themselves afterward were
overheard giving disgruntled COM
mentS in reaction to what they con-
sidered an expression of an extreme
point Of view about the German
people.
Fact, Not Emotion.
The thought which the Morale
Division is said to hold is that Army
men themselves should give the
talks and make them statements of
fact and not emotion, in order ia
promote knowledge and inspire il
Illuminating discussion. 1t would be
broad supplement to the educa-
ton in the narrow sense which al
ready is available to the soldier
languages, shorthand, craft-train-
ing and SO forth.
In England non-commissioned Of
fcerS as vel las officers give some
OF the talks, which are presented In
training time, at rest intervals dur
Ing exercises and at other odd mo.
ments, and occasionally as formal
lectures or through international
motion pictures.
The. British experience in this
revolutionary side bar of military
training began when w. E. Williams
director OF the British Institution of
Adult Education. approached the
war Ministry last August with his
loea for the A. B. c. A. He has
now a special War Office staff of
men with a wide knowledge of eco
Monies. the world in general and of
enucatlon. This staff supervises the
camp lecturing, which the regimen
tai officers often find a difficult prob-
lem because their time is so heavily
occupied with the pressing matters
OF purely military nature
War and Current Affairs.
Williams office sends to the camps
weekly broadsides of information as
tne basis for the lectures. One
broadside is called War" providing
military information in the widest
sense and presenting short nara
tlves of what is happening in war
in various parts of the
world. 1t also describes the out
standing achievements of the three
British military services. the Army.
the Air Force and the Navy.
The other broadside is called Cur
rent Affairs" compiled by students
OF events OF the day. 1t contains the
fruit Of much study and information
and usually has few maps to illus
trate happenings clearly. The two
broadsides are published fortnightly.
War" comes out one week and
Current Affairs" the next, giving
the lecturer and the soldier a happy
mixture of news and discussion
about fighting and politics.
Six former British neWSpapermen
now in the Army write War" The
circulation Of the broadsides and the
operation of the program Is almost
wholly limited to the British Isles
camps now, but the British hope to
include in the extension course the
Indian troops and Dominions armies
eventually. The Tommies already
have heard talks about - among
other things-the Monroe Doctrine,
the way the Gallup polls are carried
out and the mechanics of the lease
lend system.
Lectures for British Here.
These topics reflect the great in
terest in American affairs which
now has become widespread in Eng
land and among the British every
where. The working newspaperman
here receives frequent inquiries from
the British nowadays for the most
detailed information about dry as
poets of American life which we
take for granted and about which
the average American has never
bothered to find out a graet deal.
This British curiosity has inspired
a program of IL lectures for the
benefit of the British colony in
Washington-now 1000 strong-on
American life. "Our Hosts and
Their Country" is the title of the
series. The first lecture was given
by Dr. c. w. ThornthWaite. Uni
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