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officers in time of war. For the carrying out of this purpose considerable machinery- 
has been provided. Army officers are detailed for this instruction and, when they 
are lacking, naval officers are detailed. These officers are paid by the Government. 
Arms and equipments are furnished. There can be no doubt in my mind as to the 
intent. 
Similarly, there is no doubt in my mind as to the advisability of this requirement. 
I think this is one of the best features of the act and that the wisdom and patriotism 
of this provision are as evident as in the provision for industrial instruction. 
I desire to say also that where this military instruction is given by the officers and 
received by the students with pride and enthusiasm, there is afforded to the institu- 
tion an element of great strength. Speaking from my own experience, I would not 
consent to part with any single portion of the military instruction that is given in 
the college over which I have the honor to preside. I am now seeking to obtain from 
the Government here in Washington equipments for more extended military instruc- 
tion than we are now giving. I consider that this larger military instruction will be 
a benefit to the institution not merely along military lines, but along other lines. By 
means of this sort of education we have among the students a spirit of self-control, a 
buoyancy, an enthusiasm, a manliness of bearing, a spirit of decorum, an esprit du 
corps which it would be very difficult to secure in this institution by any other 
means than by the military system. 
I do not believe there wiM be any great difficulty in dealing with this question if 
we recognize the intention of the framers of this act and the purpose of the estab- 
lishment of these colleges to have been in no small degree the giving of military 
instruction in the same spirit that we give industrial instruction. I believe we 
should endeavor to carry out this as a clear purpose of these institutions. I know 
of institutions where it is not carried out at all, except formally. Of course it ought 
to be required to be carried out; it ought to be a part of the prescribed course of 
instruction. Who is competent to prescribe it? If we should undertake to set up 
ourselves as competent to help drill soldiers or to set forth the kind of military 
instruction which is to be given in our institutions, our position would not be tenable 
for a moment; the Government would not listen to our pretensions and ought not 
to do ho. 
The War Department represents the military authorities of the country, who 
have the skill and experience, who know what is needed for the military service, 
and we should endeavor to do what they want. If the military authorities should 
undertake to direct us along scientific lines, that would be an entirely different 
proposition, but the War Department does not undertake any such thing. 
I hope the impression will not get abroad that anybody in this association is trying 
to minimize the military instruction as a part of our agricultural college course. I do 
not believe that sentiment prevails here by any means. I believe that an honest, 
efficient, and thorough carrying out of the' military requirements of the law will be 
very beneficial to these institutions. 
I know that it will be very difficult to do this in institutions where the agricul- 
tural college is but a small portion of a larger institution. It will be well-nigh impos- 
sible for some of such institutions to carry out these requirements. That is one of 
the difficulties that we have to contend with. But military requirements must not 
be thrust out of the way because of such difficulty. The difficulty should be met 
and met honestly. Where there is no such fusion of the agricultural college into a 
great university, then no such difficulties exist. 
At our college we have a special department for preparing men for the cotton 
industry; we also have a special line of instruction in machinery, in which students 
spend their time Largely in machine work. It will be seen at once that young men 
of that sort might not care to be troubled with military drill, for some of them take 
only a six months' course. Naturally they would not care to spend any part of their 
