who have served four years in the different posi
tions of our military organization brevet lieuten
ants in that body hints the question : “What re
sources would the State have at her command in
case of war ?’ ’
It has been calculated that Pennsylvania could
have one million able bodied men, ranging in age
from eighteen to forty-five, at her beck and call
within a very short space of time. Ten thousand
commissioned officers would be needed for these
men. One thousand could be taken very easily
from our national guard and a thousand more na
tive Pennsylvanians, serving in our regular army
would be eager to be detached temporarily for
schools of instruction. Thousands of the G. A.
U. would giarlly teach and drill the students of
our high schools and academies which would act
as feeders.
Also, right here the work of our land grant col
leges would be felt and the thousands who. have
been graduated from these state institutions with a
training from the hands of the most skillful offi
cers of the regular army would be prepared for the
fray with as loyal and ardent a spirit as those who
have been graduated from the government institu
tion at West Point.
There are such a number of reasons why mili
tary instruction in our public schools would be
beneficial to the students and community that my
purpose shall be to name only those most import
ant to niy mind.
But first—what would be a proper course of in
struction for such schools and what would be the
expense to the public? Beginning at the gram
mar school a systematic course of the “setting
up” exercises for one-half hour daily would be
just as good as any system of gymnasium work and
would have the advantages of drawing a greater
number into a good work and of preparing them
for a better work beyond. These exercises could
be'taught to a class within a week if a half hour
was devoted daily, the students being given the
exercises in the aisles at.their respective desks.
THE FREE LANCE.
“Attention” all take the “position of a soldier”
could be taught within five minutes time. If their
windows be opened, five exercises given, in a
sharp, rapid style a new life would be put into all
the students.
From the grammar school the students after en
tering die high schools would be instructed in the
marchings, of a column of fours, platoons, com
panies, street column, etc., and if guns were avail
able {he manual of arnu might be required. A
manual could be purchased for a trifle. An uni
form costing no more than an ordinary suit of
clothes would be proper at the high school and
might be required.
Thus, the twig cultivated and bent in the prop
er direction in early life, would be taken to the
land grant colleges, the crowns of the educational
systems of the different States, to be graduated a
brave, alert, loyal and manly tree. And thus by
a military spirit cultivated in his own public
school systems without any niorc expense to the
state than at the present a better clement would
be brought into the militia and regular army and
they would be raised to the highest standard of
efficiency.
Our flag—Patriotism—Military—Drills, are the
three things needed in our public schools. Too
much respect cannot be shown to the dear old
flag I A flag that should be “cherished by all our
hearts and upheld by all our hands.”
Military drill enlivens patriotism and the law
that patriotism should be taught, is the keystone
of a republic.
That we are having nice weather once more.
That the baseball committee has failed as yet
to get out the inter-class schedule.
That the Press Bureau is doing good work.
We commend it to the student body., We be
lieve it deserves the aid of every student, Each
WE HAVE GLEANED THE FACT.