TRAINING TO BE UNIFIED

Recent orders received by Major William F. Flynn, commandant of the University R. O. T. C., from Adjutant-General Learnard of the War Department, Washington, D. C., announce the establishment of a training committee with a major-general at its head to supervise and direct all tactical and specialist training schools for officers and cadets training for officers' commissions. Although not yet named, the major-general in charge of the work and his staff of assistants will be appointed in the near future, and will assume the task of inspecting and unifying the various branches of the R. O. T. C. at different schools and colleges, making them a single organization instead of a rather heterogeneous mass of separate corps.

Extracts from Adjutant-General Learnard's orders follow:

"A training committee of the General Staff, War College Division, with a major-general at its head as director of training and special staff corps representatives, has been designated as the centre of instruction of troops in the United States and the direct representative of the Chief of Staff. Associated with the director of training and training committee are the British and French military attaches, Generals Maclachlan and Vignal, and officer specialists and advisers of both Allied Armies. The functions of the training committee are as follows: To maintain close relations with expeditionary forces abroad and with troops undergoing training in the United States with a view to co-ordinating training to the end that instruction may be progressive; to prepare plans and policies connected with training; to supervise and co-ordinate functions of central schools and divisional, tactical and specialist schools for officers, officer-candidates and enlisted men; to submit recommendations and distribute documents pertaining to training; to produce and distribute motion pictures as an auxiliary in training of troops; and to assign, supervise and co-operate with foreign officers on training duty.

"Members of the training committee will be required from time to time to visit the several cantonments and schools in order to keep the Chief of Staff informed concerning the practical workings of prescribed plans.

"Foreign military attaches, or their staff representatives, will also from time to time make similar visits to observe their own officers belonging to their missions. Every courtesy will be extended to them.

"By order of the Secretary of War