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% ulfjc Jiuttdajj §slaf WASHINGTON, D. ~G ,r APRIL 29, 1945. The Unlearned Lesson o f World War I B y Belmon t Farley, D ire c to r ol P ublic R e la tio n s , N a tio n a l u c a tlo n A sso c ia tio n . E d- Although the Nation depends at all times lor social stability and economic security upon the loyalty and ability ol its citizens, there is no time in a coun try's history when its very survival so obviously rests upon the sound health, the technical skills and practical knowl edge of its people as it does in the midst of a war. War subrhits human as well as material resources to a strict account ing, and compels attention to human deficits which only a peculiar brand of shortsightedness could fail to recognize. The American people were afflicted with more than a light touch of this brand of myopia after World War No. 1, when the physical and mental inade quacies of large numbers of men in uniform called forth little more action than the writing of some good news stories. In 1917-18, for the first time in history, fighting riren were given phychological and educational examinations. One-fourth of the men who wore the uiiHorm were unable • to read a news paper intelligently or write a legible i letter home, Twenty-nine per cent of ! the men in the draft were rejected for physical unfitness. These facts so im pressed the American Legion that one of the first steps taken By th at body after its organization was in the direc tion of eliminating illiteracy. The Legion also advocated a sound health and recreation program for American j youth. ~ j; High School Rolls Trebled. / ! i Educators joined the veterans in these j programs and began systematic, Nation wide study-of the causes oLeducational • and physical inadequacies in American I youth. It would not be correct to say that the results of the efforts of educa tors. veterans and others interested in a physically and intellectually strong citizenry resulted in exactly zero. There were some accomplishments. High school enrollment in the United States between 1920 and 1940 increased from 2,200,389 to 6.601.444. Physical and health education were recognized as more than frills. But the ultimate effect of these im provements can be judged by the extent to wliich they became available to all youth, since war makes a universal draft upon manpower. A look a t the The alarming situation at that date educational program in terms of its j will be appreciated from the general’s contribution to national security in ! recital of specific shortages of needed World War No. 2 as they did in World J skills. "Actually,” he said-, “out of War No. 1. They hope to make educa tion more nearly meet the needs of every 300,000 men inducted, we needed 4,689 with training as radio operators. peace as well as of defense. They are We were getting 135. We were short analyzing weaknesses and seeking to eliminate them. Once again they come 4,554. — —— "Out of every 300,000 men inducted before the American people asking for the improvement of existing school serv the Army needed 4,501 with training as medical technicians. We were getting ices and the extension of educational 166, a shortage of 4,335. We needed 4,- opportunity cm soihe comparable basis 372 telephone and telegraph linemen. to all American children and youth. We were getting 343, a shortage of 4,- There is every' indication that the re 029. We needed 1,562 master mechanics. turning veterans of the present war will We were getting 14, a shortage of 1,548. co-operate in this program as the vet "In the entire field of automotive me erans of 1918 co-operated in plans to chanics, which includes many allied sub improve schools following their demobil N , j jects, out of every 300,000 men inducted, ization. we were short 10,437. That means a In their proposal for adopting edu shortage of 34,790 out of every 1,000,- cation to the present-day needs of in 000 men. In an arm$ of 4,000,000 men, dividuals and of the national life, edu th a t’s a shortage of 139,160 automotive cators are receiving plenty of advice. mechanics. Critics of education, friendly and other “Taking only those specialties in wise, offer scores of suggestions. This which the Army has found major short is as it should be. Schools of democracy ages, we find a total of 62,853 lacking in are nobody’s monopoly. Like Govern every 300,000 men inducted. That adds ment, the schools must remain in the up to 838,040 In an army of 4,000,000 hands of the people if the people are to men. be sovereign. It is commendable and "Yes, these shortages of trained m an desirable_for citizens to offer suggespower—of men trained in the funda | tions for the improvement of education; mentals of jobs that must be done in a j but many of the suggestions are offer modern army—are serious, much too ed with the nonchalance of a patron^, serious. The specialist field is being suggesting a change in the time sched combed and recombed. The supply of ule of trains on an established railroad. trained men is dwindling by, the day.” In hundreds of American communities e JO,(V10,M9(.Trained. — , the schools haven’t, even a roadbed. jThe shortages of trained men and They aren't going any place until some women were as great in war industry as fundamental work is done. Advice on they were in the armed forces. The whether there should be less maths-—*, story of the emergency training of spe matlcs or more mathematics, more his cialized personnel in both industry and j tory or less history, more vocational or, 1 the Army is an inspiring story of Amer- j less vocational study in those commun- \ j ican ingenuity and determination. The \ ities is not as pertinent as advice th a t; American schools on day and night' there should be a school staffed by pro-; shifts have trained more than 10,000,- fessionally trained teachers and equipped 000 workers in skills needed by the war with books and other "tools of learning industries. Schools and colleges are co which will permit the teaching of any operating with the Army and Navy in a thing effectively variety of specialized training programs Schools Vary Widely. th at dotted with uniforms campuses The degree to which the American from coast to coast. The story turned out to be an inspir schools have been so staffed and ing one*, however, only because there equipped varies tremendously through were Allies to hold off our enemies until out the Nation. America has some of the training job was done. There is nb the finest and some of the poorest doubt about the prewar weakness of schools th a t can be found anywhere in world. This needless inequality of our national defense in terms of ships the___j.___ m ________a ______ — <• logical and educational examinations. One-lour til of tile men who wore the uniTorm were unable • to read a news paper intelligently or write a legible letter home. Twenty-nine per cent of the men in the draft were rejected for physical unfitness. These facts so im pressed the American Legion thai one of the first steps taken By that body after its organization was in the direc tion of eliminating illiteracy. The Legion also advocated a sound health and recreation program for American youth. High School Rolls Trebled. j I Educators joined the veterans In these programs and began systematic, Nation wide study- of the causes of educational and physical inadequacies In American youth. It would not be correct to say that the results of the efforts of educa tors. veterans and others interested in a physically and intellectually strong citizenry resulted in exacUyjtero. There were some accomplishments. High school enrollment in the United States between 1920 and 1940 increased from 2,200,389 to 6.601.444. Physical and health education were recognized as more than frills. But the ultimate elfect of these Im provements can be judged by the extent to which they became available to all youth, since war makes a universal draft upon manpower. A look a t the census figures of 1940 throws some light upon what the postwar resolutions of 1919-20 to improve educational oppor tunity accomplished. In 1940, there were 10 States in which one-fifth or more of the population over 25 years of/ age had not gone to school past the \ feurth grade. In one ot' these States 36 ]*r cent of the adult population had only a fourth-grade education or less." It is quite evident that while, In some parts of the United States, the Increase between 1920-1940 in the number of those who were going to high school had boosted the enrollment in th at in stitution on a Nation-wide .basis by 200 !>cr cent, there were other large areas In ■vhich a substantial percentage of youth never got half way through the grade schools. Results of Slow Motion. The selective service for World War No. 2 was scarcely under way when the result of 25 years of slow motion in ed ucational development began to show. Lack of education Is a much more seri ous handicap to the soldier in today’s . Army than It was to his father in 1917-18. This war is a mechanical and scientific war to a degree that will never be fully realized by civilians until peace removes i s e c u r i t y blackouts from wartime laboratories, experimental fields and the battle fronts themselves. It must be recognized th at the schodls and colleges deserve great credit for the backlog of technical education which furnished so much of (the technical leadership which this war demands. Some idea of the handicap of educa tional inadequacy to. the prosecution of this war can be gained, however, from the straight-from-the-shoulder com ments on it by Lt. Gen. Brehon b J Somervell, commanding general, Serv-v ices o: Supply, the War Department, to , a group of educators especially assem bled In Washington In August, 1942, to appraise the Nation's educational prep aration for-this war. "Our Army today," said Gen. Somer vell, “Is an Army of specialists. Out of every 100 men inducted into the service, 63 arc assigned to duties requiring spe cialized training. We aren't getting those 63 specialists through the induc tion centers. But modern mechanized warfare dictates th at we must have them. "Yes, we must have these specialists— these men who know the fundamentals of electricity, who know automotive me chanics, who can operate radios, or dis mantle carburetors. Without them, your Army would be an Incongruous i mass, Incapable of attaining any objec-j' tlve." *1 lu K illk l.iU A L d p C C ia iU c ^ 111 wise, oiler scores ul suggestions. This is as it should be. Schools of demooracy are nobody’s monopoly. Like Govern ment, the schools must remain in the hands of the people if the people are to be sovereign. It is commendable and desirable_for citizens to offer sugges tions for the improvement of education; but many of the suggestions are offer ed with the nonchalance of a patron suggesting a change In the time sched ule of trains on an established railroad. In hundreds of American communities ! i ta.mio.noo Trained. the schools haven’t even a roadbed. ' The shortages of trained men and They aren't going any place until some ! women were as great in war Industry as fundamental work is done. Advice on I they were in the armed forces. Tire whether there should be less mathe»_i_ story of the emergency training of spe matics or more mathematics, more his cialized personnel in both industry and ,• tory or less history, more voeatlonal or | the Army is an inspiring story of Amer- j less -vocational study in those commun-\ ican ingenuity and determination. The l Hies is not as pertinent as advice th a t ' I American schools on day and n ight' there should be a school staffed by pro-/ shifts have trained more than 10 ,000 ,- fessionally trained teachers and equipped^ I 000 workers in skills needed by the war t with books and other tools of learning industries. Schools and colleges are co 1which will permit the teaching of any operating with the Army and Navy in a thing effectively variety of specialized training programs Schools Vary Widely. th at dotted with uniforms campuses from coast to coast! Tlie degree to which the American The story turned out to be an inspir schools have been so staffed and ing one*. however, only because there equipped varies tremendously through were Allies to hold off our enemies until out the Nation. America has some of the training job was done. There Is nb the finest and some of the poorest doubt about the prewar weakness of schools th a t can be found anywhere in our national defense In terms of ships the world. This needless inequality of and bases and well-trained military opportunity for American children is forces.. The educational inadequacy of hard to justify in peace when the rights millions of citizens to fulfill the wartime and duties of citizenship are passed out duties of .citizenship was an even more on equal terms to all alike. I t is still serious weakness In our national de harder to Justify in time of war when fense. the long arm of the Federal Government The inadequacy was recognized in reaches Into the most remote corners of pre-Pearl Harbor days. In an impor the Nation and summonses youth to per tant engineering camp an examination sonal participation in the defense of was given to recruits from the prewar their country. draft in 1941 "which disclosed th a t 76 Tlie result of such a policy of In per cent of the Negro troops and 11 per equality of opportunity is easily seen cent of the white troops were practically in the unequal degree to which youth illiterate—an insuperable handicap in a were able to answer that summons. A service where blueprints and printed di survey of selective service rejections for rections were basic aides for installa mental *nd educational deficiency show.< tion and use of some of the most com th a t all States contributed to them, but plicated machinery of war. —* by no means in the same proportion. In Oregon and Utah, for Instance, only 5,704,000 Rejected. As a result of this disclosure and sim 1 per cent out of every 100 registrants was rejected for educational inade ilar ones in other centers, the military authorities asked the Selective Service quacy. In Alabama and South Carolina nearly 13 out of every 100 registrants System to reject all men who had not completed the fourth grade in school, a were rejected for th a t reason. Rejec standard arbitrarily adopted as that of tions in the other States trail between functional literacy. By midsummer of these two extremes. It certainly Is no 1942, a total of 200,000-men had been accident th a t 13 of the 15 States with turned down for this reason alone. the highest proportion of rejections oc Alarmed at the loss of a number of cupy bottom rank in annual per-pupil . men equivalent to nearly 15 divisions, expenditures for their schools. The first problem to solve in the main and stung by sharp charges of "discrim ination,” military authorities decided to tenance and improvement of schools, accept 5 per cent of those selectees who either urban or rural, is the problem of fell below the standard of fourth-grade financial support. Urban communities achievement, and operate schools in the and States which include large “metro Army camps to eliminate illiteracy. politan areas have gone much further Later the percentage was raised, and in toward the solution of this problem than many camps today, officers and enlisted have States* composed largely of farm men who should be teaching men how to populations, but the variation In the shoot guns out of tanks and drop bombs support of school systems within some on their targets, instead, in some quiet of the so-called urban States Is almost barracks, are toiling with men who are as great as the variations In sup port between urban and rural States. learning the ABCs. • A total of 1,704(000-in an registrants in There are 115,000 school systems In the the selective service up to February 1 United States as a whole. Some school j had failed to meet the minimum mental) systems spend $6,000 a year per class- ; and educational standards for induction^ room unit. Other school systems spend Into the armed forces—350,000 of them less than $100 per classroom unit per j signing their names with a mark! Near year. The wealthiest State naturally In ly 4,000,000 men had been rejected up cludes some of the classrooms supported to the same date because of Pfiyslcaiun- at the rate of $6,000 a year. It also in fitness. The rejectees for educational cludes a few classroom units supported and physical inadequacy could man the at less than $750 a year. whole western front—and many to spare. It is clear that the equalization of ed In short, we have lost more men in ucational opportunity Is partly to be ac World War No. 2 because of educational complished by the several States and and physical deficiency than we had within the several States. Programs under arms in World War No. 1. / toward equalization within the States Much of tifis educational and physical! have, however, been under w a v for many unfitness could have been prevented lfj years. Great progress hRS teen made. tlie schools of this country had between^ Very little progress has been nude, 1920 and 1940 offered all youth an ade however, in the equalisation of educa quate educational program, which in . tional opportunity between the States. eluded health and physical education. The amount spent for u classroom unit Educators are appraising the Nation's tm a Nation-wide average Is about $1,600. which the Army has found major short ages, we find a total of 62,853 lacking in every 300,000 men inducted. That adds up to 838,040 in an army of 4,000,000 men. “Yes, these shortages of tra ile d m an power—of men trained in the funda mentals of jobs that must be done in a modern army—are serious, much too serious. The specialist field is being combed and recombed. The supply of trained men is dwindling by, the day." 'IS J
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