Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-29
Compulsory Military
Training in Schools
Here 10 Be Studied
Congress Gorups to Weigh
Proposal Supported
By Commissioners
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

y VvAA<A Il
Senate and House District Com
mittees will be called into confer
ence as soon as Congress recon-
venes in September to consider
legislation providing compulsory
military training in the District
high schools, it was learned today.
The legislation, it was learned at
the District Building, will have the
support Of the Commissioners. Yes
terday Corporation Counsel Rich
mond B. Keech ruled that compul-
sorry training Is illegal under the
Act of 1907.
Commissioner Guy Mason. in the
absence of Commissioner j. Russell
Young, who is on vacation and
could not be reached, stated that he
and Engineer Commissioner Charles
w. KutZ, had conferred on the sub
Ject yesterday and are in favor of
military training for school pupils,
but believe legislation is necessary.
Commissioner Mason said he "favors
compulsory military training for all
male pupils and some form of
physical fitness training for girl
students"
Cadet Corps Praised.
AT the same time, it was pointed
out by Army officials and school au-
thorlties that the present war has
illustrated how cadet corps training
in the Washington high schools has
helped to prepare students to be-
come officers in the armed services.
This includes 1t. Gen. Brehon
Somervell. commanding the Army
Service Forces, whose job it is to
outfit, provision. furnish munitions.
transportation and equipment to the
Army, and who was Central High
School cadet. Another illustration
is 1t. Col. lCharlie) Saltzman, ad-
Jutant to 1t. Gen Mark w. Gross in
North Africa, who treasures a gold
watch he Won commanding a win
ming company in Central High
cadet drill. Recent news dispatches
have told of the heroic acts of scores
of former Washington high school
cadets in all the theaters of war.
Chairman Jennings Randolph of
the House District Committee, when
reached by telephone at his home
in West Virginia, said that the Dis
trict Committee will take up the
subject of adequate legislation when
Congress meets in September.
Chairman Randolph. more than
three years ago, saw the advisability
of compulsory military training. and
in 1910 he introduced legislation to
make military drill and teaching of
tactics in the Civilian Conservation
Corps compulsory for eight hours a
week.
Proposal Is Favored.
Since that time many editorials
have been printed in leading news
papers emphasizing that had such
drills and training been given we
would have had 100000 to 3,0O0,-
900 young men who came from the
CCC camps much better fitted for
the rigors of participation in and
prosecution of this war" Repre-
sentative Randolph pointed out.
Many members of the Senate and
House District Committees them
selves have had military service and
expressed a personal appreciation
of the value of high school cadet
training Those who could be
reached today said that students
benefited by such training.
Representative Thomas A. Dale
sandro. jr.. of Maryland. of the House
District Committee said at his office
in Baltimore today that he is consid-
ering introducing bill for compul-
sorry military training in the Dis
trict high schools, but does not wish
to jump the gun on the chairman
or veteran members of the commit
tee. During the recess, he said. he
will consult with leaders of civic.
business. school, parent-teachers
and other similar groups to get
their advice on the form and scope
of the proposed legislatiom
He pointed out that due consid-
Grafton will be given in the measure
to exempt those not physically fit
or who, for religious reasons, wish to
be excused.