Military Drill in the University

The University of Nebraska is by state law passed prior to the present constitution and adopted by that document a land grant college. The land grant colleges owe their existence to an act signed by President Lincoln during the civil war granting certain lands to found colleges of agriculture and mechanic arts including military training for the special benefit of the in dustrial classes. The above is not a literal quotation from the law but contains its substance. Federal Relations Since this time various appropriations have been made by congress for the benefit of the land grant colleges. We have federal relations thru three cabinet officers namely the Secretary of the Interior the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of War. The Secreteary of the Interior manages the educational funds. If thru failure to comply with the laws or to keep our agreements educational funds should be withheld the initiative would come thru the Secretary of the Interior. If thru failure to maintain military drill the agri cultural funds were withheld the initiative would come thru the Secretary of Agriculture.

We receive no funds directly from the War Depart ment but have without expense to us the benefit of the detail of officers the use of guns and other supplies as well as ammunition for target practice. Up to the present time the War Department is the only one of the three depart ments that has endeavored to insist on military drill for all physically fit male students. Interpretation of the Federal Law. The University has always resisted this extreme con struction of the War Department and maintained the right of excuse for cause. A number of years ago a committee of the Association of Agricultural Colleges, representing this as well as one of the other institutions of the country, agreed with the War Department on the following interpretation: Two years of three hours per week required military drill for each student unless excused by the local authorities for cause. The University authorities have since this agreement regarded it as a matter of honor to maintain in good faith this interpretation. The State Law. The Legislature of 1887 organized the cadets into a battalion and delegated to the Regents the power to provide rules and regulations in accordance with which students might be required to attend upon the studies or other exercises...

of the military department. It further provided for the issuing of commissions by the governor and the loaning of property by the adjutant general. It provided further for the report of the commandant to the state adjutant general and laid down rules for the selection of university cadet officers. The University therefore regards the main tenance of military drill as an act of keeping faith with the state as well as with the federal government. The Legislature has of course the right to change state relations. Recent Legislation The recent bill for national defense provided for the establishment of a reserve officers' training corps in the colleges and universities of the country. The bill provides further that the land grant colleges shall be on a different basis from other institutions. A ruling of the War Department interpreted the bill as requiring two years compulsory drill for all physically fit male students. The Regents of the University in their application for this reserve officers' training corps refused to pledge themselves and their application was refused by the War Department. Later however the Chancellor of the University with other college executives secured a modification of the ruling of the War Department whereby no change is to be made in main taining the first two years of military drill. In other words freshmen and sophomores will drill just as at present

but will receive free uniforms from the federal government. After the freshmen and sophomore years the work will be purely elective those going into it receiving uniforms and rations to the value of about $100 a year each. They will further receive compensation for summer camps and after graduation six months' pay as officers for training in the regular army. After this they become reserve officers and may be calle don in case of war or threats of war. In securing the establishment of the reserve officers' training corps the University thru its Regents has pledged the in stitution to maintain the first two years on the present basis. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE LEGISLATURE WERE TO ABOLISH DRILL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA We should, of course lose all connection with the War Department. My opinion is that the Interior and Agri culture departments would decide that we were no longer entitled to government funds and that we should lose over $300,000 per biennium. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD DIRECT THE REGENTS TO MAKE MILITARY VOLUNTARY My opinion is that the War Department would at once withdraw from all conneciton with the University that the President would withhold the benefits of teh provision for the reserve officers' training corps. We should then be obliged to employ a commandant to purchase guns and other equipment and to maintain at the expense of the state such a military department as we might see fit to organize. We should

I think be justly regarded by sister universities as having under compulsion abrogated our agreements and understandings with the federal government and both the state and the University would suffer in general public esteem. Nevertheless I do not believe that even under such conditions our federal funds for agriculture and mechanic arts could be legally withheld. In fact I do not believe that a serious attempt would be made to deprive us of them. HOW CAN MILITARY DRILL HONORABLY BE PUT ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS The act is simple. Congress and the President gave us military training. If the people desire it they can withdraw it. Let Congress pass either as a section of a bill or a rider or a clause in an appropriation bill the words "Military training in land grant colleges shall be voluntary at the discretion of the authorities". We could then organize our military department on a purely volunteer basis and at the same time keep faith with all parties con cerned. Agitation should be directed at Congress not to the state legislature. THE QUESTION ON ITS MERITS. I do not believe in militarism nor do I wish to be a party to the training of more than an occasional professional soldier. I believe however in having scattered thru our civilian population a large number of men who could serve their country in case of war. I do not believe that this training will have any tendency whatever

to cause a war but in case war comes it will enable our patriotic young men to serve their country under leadership that will protect them to some extent form the merciless slaughter that raw troops always suffer when led by absolute ly untrained men. I believe that our undisciplined over individualistic American youth are benefited physically mentally and morally by the course of military training that they receive in the University.

S. Avery