Evening star., 1942-12-04
Policy Expected Soon
On Army Dictation
OF College Courses
Educators Regard Plan
As Death Blow to Many
Small Institutions
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.


The White House is expected
to disclose soon to the bewildered
heads of the Nations colleges
and universities exactly what is
meant by the veiled threat of
Army plans to dictate the terms
on which thousands of soldiers
are to be given technical training
during the war.
Undersecretary Patterson, at a
press conference late yesterday, dis
avowed the intention of the Army
to take over any institutions for
the purpose, but he put them on
notice that since the Army is going
to pay the bill'' it also intends to
get from them the kind of training
it wants.
On at least one other score Mr..
Patterson's statement seemed to
strengthen the fears expressed by
some educators that the Army plan,
If it is put into effect, means the
loss of their independence for the
duration and probable death blow
to many of the Nations small,
liberal art colleges.
Extent Not Decided.
Mr.. Patterson said he did not
know how many colleges would be
used in the Army program, but he
made 1t clear that the ones selected
would be "the best equipped to give
the training desired by the Army"
The plan to give college students
three months of basic military train
ing in camps, then send them back
for certain technical training was
said to have been worked out in CO.
operation with the colleges. War
Department reluctance and refusal
to discuss the details of policy in the
making, however, have kept educa-
tors as well as the public in the dark
as to all details in the plan.
The implied whip hand" which
the Army can exercise over the col
leges is feared unmistakably in
many educational circles. especially
since the Government has made l8
and 19 year old boys subject to the
selective service law. The teen-age
group comprises about 95 per cent
of the student body of the average
small" college. Lowering of the
draft age also means that practically
every able-bodied student in the
large universities and professional
schools is eligible for military serv-
ice.
In discussing the Army's training
program yesterday, Mr.. Patterson
gave no more details than were re-
layed to educators at New York
meeting of the Middle States Asso-
citation of Colleges and Secondary
Schools and Affiliated Associations
last Saturday by Army spokesmen.
Develops Army's Plans.
"I've heard fears expressed that
the War Department may take over
colleges" Mr.. Patterson said. I'VE
have no plan to take over any COL
leges, but there has been plan
worked out whereby limited num-
ber of soldiers will be given technical
training at certain colleges. These
will be the ones with the facilities
to teach the kind of things desired
by the Army
obviously" Mr.. Patterson added,
"the program will be for the benefit
of the Army, and that is the only
reason why the War Department
would adopt it.
He indicated that the technical
training may be given to civilian
students as we'll as to soldiers, but
emphasized emphatically that the
instruction given the soldiers will be
outlined by the War Department.
I'VE will be paying the bills so
we will naturally get the kind of
training we specify" he added
He did not know how many col
leges would be used. nor how many
soldiers would be sent to them for
training.
DR. Edmund E. Day, president of
Cornell University, at the recent
New York meeting told educators
that as many as 250000 service men
would be sent to the colleges under
this plan. DR.. Day is chairman of
the Committee on Relationships of
Higher Education and the Federal
Government which was appointed
by the American Council on Educa-
ton. That group has been serving
as haison between the War and
Navy Departments and more than
500 colleges and universities in the
war effort.
Mr.. Patterson did point out, how
ever, that the soldiers will be select
ed as students on much the same
basis as the Army now selects Of
ficer candidates from the ranks.