Show Military l Training in ill Nations Nation's Schools Increases Supply of Reserve Reser Officers By Dy MILTON R. R KENTON KESTON by Western Union MINNEAPOLIS MINN Number Number of students taking R. R O. O T. T C. C military military mili mill tary training at U U. S colleges academies acad emils emil's and high schools has increased in creased 20 per cent In the last two years and totalled men In Inthe Inthe inthe the academic year just ending according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to a study of the current status of military training in U S. S schools by Northwestern National Life Insurance company Less than 1 lout out of 12 universities and colleges in the United States otTer offer military training out of approximately approximately approximately ap ap- ap- ap proximately 1700 schools of college grade Yet collegians at these schools received senior R. R O. O T. T C. C Instruction during the year 1939 The great majority were taking the basic year two-year course however during the month of June men were graduated from the year four-year training course qualifying them for Reserve Officer commis commis- When the United States entered the World war our reserve of officers cers numbered only 2900 it now numbers over thanks largely large large- ly 17 to R It O. O T. T C. C student military training the study finds Texas A M 1 Is Largest Largest senior R. R O. O T. T C. C unit is at Agricultural Mechanical College College Col Col- lege of Texas here where the cadet corps numbers men Ohio State university university uni uni- has the second largest senIor senior sen sen- br unit with cadets enrolled and the University of Illinois has the third largest corps with men on the military roster Meanwhile at public or private private private vate secondary schools and 42 military military mili mili- tary academies academics youths received received received re re- re- re junior B R. R O. O T T. C. C training under U. U S army officers during the school year just ended Of these were public high schools the remainder were private high schools and prep schools both civilian and military but all aU with junior R. R O. O T. T C. C military units Chicago has the largest junior R. R O. O T. T C C. C unit in the United States regular cadets are enrolled at 27 high schools In that city In addition addition addi addi- tion 1516 freshman students take R. R O. O T. T C. C training at their own expense the expense the war department provides provides provides pro pro- vides only ony for the cost of training second third and fourth year high school students The Detroit high schools unit Is the second largest in the country with 2280 cadets and the Dallas high schools unit is a close third with 2250 junior R. R 0 O. O T. T C. C cadets enrolled Compulsory Military Training In view of current proposals for compulsory military training in U.S. U.S. U.S. U. U S. S schools certain figures given Inthe in inthe inthe the study are of interest R. R O. O T. T C. C training was changed from a required required required re re- re- re subject to an elective at the University of Minnesota In 1934 enrollment enrollment en en- in the cadet corps fell from 2484 in the preceding school year to in the 35 1934 school year numbered men In the 40 1939 I s academic year recently completed Approximately half of the colleges colleges col col- leges and universities having R. R O. O T. T C. C training make It a required subject for the first two years and offer otTer it as an elective for the junior and senior years in the remainder it is on a voluntary basis It is a required subject at all of the universities universities uni uni- which have the larger R. R O. O T. T C. C units But in the World war years of 1914 18 the number of U U. U S. S high schools offering military instruction and the number of students taking it increased many hundred per cent the study shows and then tobogganed tobogganed rapidly again when the war warto to end all wars was finished In 1914 only 75 public high schools Inthe in inthe inthe the United States giving military drill of a sort with students students stu stu- dents enrolled By 1916 just before before before be be- fore Americas America's entry Into war the number of schools giving military training and the number enrolled for forIt forIt forit It had approximately trebled to schools and cadets By 1918 it reached a peak with 1265 public high schools in the United States giving military instruction to boys boys and and to girls The num num- i iI I OJE AI LEFT are I pictured o o 0 tin Min R. R 0 0 O. 7 T T. C. C cadets u marching into their stadium far annual mine Al AI 36 U ii I S. S young youn mm men look Ionic military training in I hool sear far just jud CENTER Unit o oJ o noil ioia R. R O. O T. T C. C toilets nl are arf hown in anti aircraft drill INSET Pretty INSET rum drum like tikI Caryl 11 1 left and anI Jon Jant right ri arid add uni nm oum to a Chicago ln junior R. R O. O T. T C. C bers began to decline immediately after peace was declared and by 1928 public high schools schoos offered of military training and students were taking it Same In Secondary Schools The same general story is true of private secondary schools during the same period the study shows In 1914 86 prep schools were giving military drill to boys by 1918 boys' boys schools were giving military mill mili tary instruction to students and 65 girls girls' schools were drilling 2639 girls in military formations By 1128 1928 this number was back to prep schools offering military Instruction In in- with cadets taking It it Thus the report points out In 1918 at the peak of the war effort a total of 1739 public and private secondary schools were giving milItary military military mil mil- training to boys and by 1928 the combined total had fallen to schools giving military training training training train train- ing to boys The study points out as a matter of comparative Interest in interest interest In- In terest that today approximately public and private secondary schools in the United States are giving war supervised department military in instruction in in- to more than cadets ca en- dels compared with a combined total total total to to- tal of public and private secondary secondary sec see schools In 1914 which were giving military drill In many cases of a very sketchy nature to boys A number of private military academies were not Included In the 1914 figures and private military academics academies not under war department department depart depart- ment supervision are not included in the tile current figures the report points out however the comparative compare tive live growth in number of military trainees would not be great greatly changed could the additional figures be obtained the study states because because because be be- cause a direct checkup of comparative compare tive live attendance at 41 military schools which furnished the Insurance ance company with their 1916 1910 am and 1938 enrollment figures showed an increase of some per cent in average attendance New Units Desired The war department has applications now on file from universities colleges high schools and prep pre schools for tor SO 50 additional senior R. R O. O T. T C. C corps and Ill junior units None have been added since the fiscal fis Ils cal year rear of 1937 as no funds have been available for the purpose since then Annual cost of the R. R O O. O T. T C. C runs about a 3 minor Item in our gigantic defense budget the study points out Of this goes for uniforms equipment and general expense of operation and 6 million dollars for salaries of the army officers and noncoms detailed detailed detailed de de- de- de tailed as instructors University and college R. R 0 O. O T. T C C. men who elect to take the advanced course third course third and fourth years years years-reo re receive about in pay from the government during their two yean year of study plus free tree transportation to and from a weeks six training camp plus all expenses while at atthe atthe atthe the camp Only about one student out of six in the basic year two course elects elect to continue In the advanced course the study finds A little over men completed their four years' years sen sen- lor training during the school year ending this month Ordinarily only a part of the graduates apply for commissions due to limitations in vacancies only a part of the applicants cants are lire actually commissioned When effect ciTed is given to resignations and retirements from the active list hot the net result has hao been an increase 8 of about 1500 per year In recent years in total Reserve strength |