Evening star., 1946-07-11
Bradley Rejects
Federal Schools
For Veterans
Tells Conference
States Must Take
Responsibility

including veterans schooling, is q
responsibility of States and not the
Federal Government.
The administrator addre se G
about $50 representatives of educa
tlonal associations and universities
in the opening session of the United
States Chamber of Commerce Of 6
three-day conference today callec
by the American Council of Educa.
ton in an effort to map plans fol
meeting heavy enrolment demands
on schools this fall.
Gen. Bradley's address was pre-
ceded by speeches by Maj. Gen
Graves B. Erskine. administrator OF
the Retraining and Re-employmenl
Administration of the Department
of Labor. and John r. Steelman
war mobilization and reconversior
director.
No Federal Schools Planned.
Gen. Bradley told the educators
that misunderstanding nave arisen
about his agency's responsibility in
education.
I'VE do not have any Fedora
schools, nor do We contemplate
starting any," Gen. Bradley said
Il want you to realize that we are
not getting into the education busi-
ness ourselves. nor will we interfere
in any way with the school pro-
gram.
The administrations only concern
after veterans start school is ir
their attendance and progress 'ir
a properly drawn-up program" the
general said.
More than 100000 veterans have
applied for eligibility certificates for
schooling or on-the-job training, the
administrator said, adding that he
did not know how many were foI
colleges. He quoted recent re-
port to the President from former
ReconyerSlon Director Snyder eSti-
mating that 100000 veterans would
apply to colleges in the fall.
Gen. Bradley said that his agency
has increased from a personnel
strength of $1,000 on Vi day to
more than 10000 today, and that
backlogS of work which built up
during heavy demobilization last
winter are getting in hand"
Allowances Expedited.
Payments of subsistence allow
ances to students also are being ex-
pedited, he told the educators.
The general urged that colleges
use "every means possible to i'm
provise methods for handling large
enrollments in September" He sale
some schools are going on l2-houl
days and more.
IT know that's rough on instruc-
tors" he said. Il used to have an
m. class in mathematics at West
Point myself"
Urging that veterans qualification
for schooling be checked at guidance
centers, Gen. Bradley warned against
discoura any veterans educa-
ton. THE members who are turn
ing out present a healthy sign anc
present national asset of far.
reaching consequences he said.
Truman to Name Board.
Mr.. Steelman revealed that Pres.
ident Truman is appointing ma
tional commission on education tt
deal with emergency education
problems.
Citing veterans education as Of
prime Importance, Mr.. Steelmar
said the country is faced with the
threat that in four or five years
we shall literally not have thu
trained and educated manpower tt
carry on our program-either eco
nomic or social-which We considel
to be our national destiny"
He said it appeared few months
ago that several hundred thousanc
voug men and women would have t
postpone plans for college educa
ton, but that the aggressive action!
of colleges has substantially in
creased college capacity"
Mr.. Steelman said these Govern
UleIlL vi iOSl dIlio diC uiiooi way
Making unused Army and Navy
equipment available on a no-cos'
lease basis, temporary housing
planned to provide quarters fol
100000 student veterans, priority
ALLEGATIONS for emergency construc'
ton, distribution of surplus mate
rials. use of 100000 surplus text
books and production of new books
and manpower-r recruiting drives.
Erskine Offers recommendations.
Gen. Erskine expressed alarm al
reports that number OF States
are on the verge of dumping on-the-
Job training into the lap of the
Federal Government"
He recommended that "the Fed
eral Government provide reasonable
amounts of money to States, with
the provision that prescribed stand
ards of education will be main
tanned" Another alternative he
mentioned was to have the entire
on-the-job program taken over by g
Federal agency which would be
responsible for complete admins
tration of all it's phases.
Emphasizing Importance OF on
the-job training, Gen. Erskine sale
that in a year or so 100000 veter-
ans will be enrolled and that the
Government soon may be spending
more than $75,000,000 a month or
this program alone.
President Truman greeted the
delegates at noon on the south lawr
of the White House.
This afternoon addresses will fea'
ture Wilson w. Wyatt, Nationa
Housing Agency administrator: Johr
D. Small. head of the Civilian Pro.
duction Agency, and G. E. Eggerton
associate administrator of the Wal
Assets Administration.
Zook Opens Conference.
Opening the conference. George
F Zook, president of the American
Council on Education, said he was
deeply impressed" with the num-
Der of Federal contacts to which in
stitutions can now apply for aid.
Mr.. Zook said the council was