1919] EDITORIAL. 103 



during the many months before the return of the overseas men to this 

 country could be completed. Efforts were accordingly increased to 

 recruit from civil life the large administrative and supervisory force 

 necessary and to provide the huge amount of textbooks, lectures, and 

 illustrative material required. In this work educational institutions 

 in this country heartily cooperated. For instance, nearly every agri- 

 cultural college granted leaves of absence to one or more members of 

 its instruction, research, or extension staffs and assisted in other 

 ways. The Federal Department of Agriculture contributed, through 

 the States Kelations Service, a large amount of bibliographical ma- 

 terial for use in preparing courses of study, as well as thousands of 

 copies of Department publications, many of its lantern slides, sets 

 of agricultural exhibits, and other matter. 



Organization in Em^ope proceeded along the main lines originally 

 projected. Special provisions were also made for embarkation points, 

 leave areas, the occupied region of Germany, and other localities at 

 which large groups of men were assembled. 



The underlying purpose of the educational program was well set 

 forth in the opening paragraph of a General Order of February 13, 

 1919, instituting the instruction : " The commander-in-chief invites 

 the attention of the organization commanders and of all officers in 

 the American Expeditionary Forces to the importance of national 

 education. This citizen army must return to the United States pre- 

 pared to take an active and intelligent part in the future progress 

 of our country. Educational and occupational training should, there- 

 fore, be provided to meet the needs of the members of the American 

 Expeditionary Forces in order that they may become better equipped 

 for their future responsibility." 



Provision was made for the detail of officers and men to participate 

 in the instruction, and authorizing the Army Educational Commis- 

 sion of the y. M. C. A. to assist in every way possible in the develop- 

 ment of the educational system. On April 16, 1919, the Army 

 assumed full responsibility for the enterprise, enrolling the commis- 

 sion and its workers as the Army Educational Corps. This action 

 placed the project on a definite military basis, and greatly facilitated 

 its rapid development. 



The instruction afforded was of various grades, the intention being 

 to meet the diverse needs of the Army as adequately as possible. 

 The apex of the system was the A. E. F. University at Beaune. The 

 bulk of the men, however, receiving instruction were of course 

 enrolled for sub-collegiate instruction, chiefly at the many post and 

 divisional schools. In addition numerous spex?ial agencies were 

 developed. For instance, some of the most striking work in agricul- 

 ture was done at the School of Agriculture at Allerey and the innu- 

 merable "farmers' institutes" and "farmers' clubs." It has been stated 



