Show military training in nation s schools I 1 increases supply of reserve officers by MILTON B R KENTON released by western newspaper union minneapolis MINN number of students taking R 0 T C military training at U S colleges academies and high schools has increased 20 per cent in the last two years and to men in the academic year just ending according to a study of the current status of military training in U S schools by northwestern national life insurance less than 1 out of 12 universities and colleges in the united states offer ier military training out of approximately 1700 schools of college grade rade yet collegians at these schools received senior R 0 T C instruction during the year 1939 40 the great majority were taking the basic two year course however during the month of june men were graduated from the four year training course qualifying them for reserve officer commissions when the united states entered the world war our reserve of officers nu numbered only 2900 it now numbers over thanks largely y to R 0 T C student military training the study finds texas A at Is largest largest senior R 0 T C unit is at agricultural mechanical college of texas where the cadet corps numbers men ohio state university has the second larg largest est senior unit with cadets cabets enrolled and the university of illinois has the third largest corps with men on the military roster meanwhile at public or private secondary schools and 42 military academies youths received junior R 0 T C training under 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 with junior R 0 T C military units chicago has the largest junior R 0 T C unit in the united states regular cadets cabets are enrolled aj at 27 high schools in that city in addition 1516 freshman students take R 0 T C training at their own expense the war department provides only 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 cabets and the dallas high schools unit is a close third with 2250 junior R 0 T C cadets cabets enrolled compulsory military training in view of current proposals for compulsory military training in U S schools certain figures given in the study are of interest R 0 T C training was changed from a required subject to an elective at the university of minnesota in 1934 enrollment roll ment in the cadet corps fell from 2484 in the preceding school year to in the 1934 35 school year numbered men in the 1939 40 FW 41 K 6 lils ABOVE LEFT here are 4 pictured university of alin Ns desota R 0 T C cabets cadets marching into their stadium for annual review at U S young men took military t e school yea r just ended CENTER university of illia nois R 0 T C cabets cadets are M shown in antiaircraft anti aircraft drill LOWER INSET pretty drum ma jor ettes like caryl pedersen left and lane g hughey right add enthusiasm to chicago junior R 0 T C ceremonies academic year recently completed approximately half of the colleges and universities having R 0 T C training make it a required subject for the first two years and offer 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 versi ties which have the larger R 0 T C units but in the world war years of 1914 18 the number of U S high schools offering military instruction and the number of students taking it increased many hundred per cent the study shows and then caned rapidly again when the war to end all wars was finished in 1914 only 75 public high schools in the united states giving military drill of a sort with students enrolled by 1916 just before americas entry into war the number of schools giving military training and the number enrolled for it had approximately trebled to schools and cadets cabets by 1918 it reached a peak with 1265 public high schools in the united states giving military instruction to boys and to girls the num bers began to decline immediately after peace was declared and by 1928 1923 only public high schools offered 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 schools were giving military instruction to students and 65 girls schools were drilling 2639 girls in military formations by 1928 1923 this number was back to prep schools offering military instruction st with cadets cabets taking 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 training to boys and by 1928 1923 the combined total had fallen to schools giving military training to boys the study points out as a matter of comparative interest that today approximately public and private secondary schools in the united states are giving war department supervised military in instruction st to more than ca bets compared with a combined total of public and private secondary 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 academies not under war department supervision are not included in the current figures the report points out however the comparative growth in number of military trainees would not be greatly changed could the additional figures be obtained the study states because a direct checkup of comparative attendance at 41 military schools which furnished the insurance company with their 1916 and 1938 enrollment figures showed an increase of some per cent in in average attendance new units desired the war department has applications now on file from universities colleges high schools and prep schools for 50 additional senior H R 0 T C corps and ill junior units none have been added since the fiscal year of 1937 as no funds have been available for the purpose since since then annual cost of the R 0 T C runs about a minor item in our gigantic defense budget the study points out of this goes for uniforms equipment and general expense of operation and avs 6 million dollars for salaries of the army officers and noncoms detailed as instructors university and college R 0 T C men who elect to take the advanced course third and fourth years receive about in pay from the government during daring their two years I 1 of study plus free transportation to and from a six weeks training camp plus all expenses while at the camp |