THE DARTMOUTH COLLEGE TRAINING DETACHMENT, N. A.

The Dartmouth College Training Detachment, N. A., was established at the request of the United States Government to give vocational training to men who had a grammar school education, some mechanical ability and a physical fitness for full military duty.

The first Detachment of 272 men reported on June 15 for two months' training and the Second Detachment of the same size on August 15 for a like period. These men have been given training as follows: Carpentry and Concrete, about 40 men ; Motor Truck Driving and Repair, about 100 men; Radio Buzzer Operating, about 60 men; Telephone Line Work, Instrument Operation and Cablesplicing, about 70 men.

The day's schedule starts at 5.45 a. m. and ends with taps at 10. p. m. Classes in vocational work extend from 8.40 a. m. to 12 noon and 1.20 p. m. to 4.40 p. m. Military drill is held for an hour in the morning and another hour in the afternoon. Mess is served in the great hall of the Commons.

Since the need for these men is acute and since in the opinion of the Washington authorities "Dartmouth is one of the best qualified institutions which we know of to handle this work," the numbers are to be increased so that by the middle of December there will be in the Training Detachment approximately 800 men, of whom about 50 will work at carpentry and concrete, 200 as motor mechanics, 100 as radio operators, and 450 as telephone electricians.

The object of the oourses given is to develop in the men leadership, co-operation, initiative, resourcefulness, skill, speed and the ability to take instructions accurately and quickly. The organization of the courses has been so directed that the men have been started upon their

educational work as soon as they arrived at the place of training.

The work carried on in the different courses is as follows:

Carpentry. The first things treated are the names, uses and care of tools and the construction of simple things like tool boxes, saw horses and clothes frames for the foot of cots in the barracks. During the summer Ledyard Bridge was replanked, an open shed was built for the College, tables to seat over 600 men in the great hall of the Commons were constructed, two barns including concrete walls were built, two roofs were shingled and a variety of wood work required by the other courses was done.

Motor Truck Drivers and Repairers. Automobiles have been taken down, their various parts examined, repaired and adjusted and the cars reassembled. Training has been given also in driving the three army trucks furnished by the Government for such use.

Radio and Buzzer Operators. This course considers the fundamental theories of electricity through lecture, laboratory and computation exercises. Practise is given in code and semaphore work for sending and receiving messages. Study is also made of the theory and use of wireless apparatus. .

Telephone Electricians. From the beginning the closest co-operation and largest assistance has been given by the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company. The company has loaned equipment and made it possible to secure from their organization experts for instructors.

The work in the course has been divided into three parts for Linemen, Cablesplicers, Repair and Troublemen.

The linemen have established a line in College Park. There they have erected a pole line, strung a cable upon the poles, bonded and grounded the cable to protect from lightning, cut in cable boxes, taken out loops for subscribers stations and laid underground cable in multiple with central office cable. In each case troubles have been detected, traced and cleared. Both open wires and loops from the cable are connected into a central office. The People's Line' (a commercial line) about eight miles in length, which has fallen into disrepair, is being entirely rebuilt by the Detachment. Groups of Detachment men work with New England Telephone employees in their local commercial repair work.

The cablesplicers have spliced 15 to 180 pair cable, spliced and wiped up lead sleeves and tested and selected multiples for the different terminals.

The repair and trouble men have taken apart and reassembled instruments and connected them by local lines through main and intermediate frames to a central office and switchboard. They have had practice also in operating switchboards and clearing troubles which were placed in instruments and lines.

Hereafter this course is to extend for thirteen weeks and is to be connected with the Signal Corps. They are to loan special apparatus and are to send a Signal Corps officer as a member of the instruction staff. The other courses are to be two months courses as formerly.

Drawing. All men in the Detachment have been given formal drawing. Through the ability to make simple drawings the power was attained to read other drawings and blue prints. It is also desirable that men secure at least a minimum of power to express data by diagrams and to illustrate reports. A short time was devoted to making a pace survey with a field sheet of a block in Hanover and some of the houses contained therein.

The interest, enthusiasm, achievement, appreciation and deportment of the men have been of a quality and quantity which exceeded our most sanguine expectations. They have the power to do much in the courses taught and they have acquired an insight into their own inherent possibilities, a knowledge of how to develop those possibilities and in many cases a determination so to do. In two months they have prepared themselves to assist mightily in helping win the war for humanity and civilization. Their greatest service, however, will be rendered after the war is over by assisting in permeating this country with high ideals and a vision of a civilization clean, safe, fair and stable.

It is earnestly to be hoped that after the war some adequate plan will be evolved to perpetuate at proper points (possibly State Universities and trades schools) courses founded on the general lines of the Dartmouth College Training Detachment, N. A., but of longer duration. Such a program will supply artisans to this country of an excellence and amount heretofore unknown. Better yet it will help solve our national problems which will arise after the war by providing a citizenship imbued with sound, sane, sympathetic ideals and a keen appreciation of true values in the relationship among laborer, capitalist, educator, statesman and public.

Professor Charles A. Holden '95, Supervisor of Military Training