ROTC Men Called Equal of Military College Graduates

Colonel Horace L. Whittaker, Commander of the Army's Quartermaster School at Camp Lee, Virgina, declared yesterday afternoon that members of the Harvard ROTC units need have no fear of being at a disadvantage when they enter the service along with graduates of approved military colleges.

Colonel Whittaker, who had just finished reviewing the Business School Quartermaster Corps mass calisthenics, is willing to back up this statement with regard to the Corps by actual statistics which he kept at his former training school in Philadelphia. Another curious fact shown by these statistics was that men from colleges in small towns and the country are more successful in general than those from cities.

Advises Not to Leave College

The visiting officer joined other Army officials in the opinion that "a student would be very foolish to leave college if he can possibly complete his course. The Army will call men as quickly as it needs them and a college degree will be exceedingly helpful to them after the war."

Calisthenics, which Dorothy Thompson knocked a few days ago, were disapproved by Colonel Whittaker as well, although he made it clear that this is not the Army's opinion. "The men resent these calisthenics more than any other part of Army life, and could get just as much physical benefit from the obstacle course and field exercises that we have at Camp Lee."

Business School Corps Good

"The ROTC Quartermaster Corps at the Business School here is of much higher calibre than average," the Colonel declared, "and I have been trying to get some of the graduates as instructors." He cited as an example Lester Hanks, who went on from here to the highest grade in the history of the training school at Philadelphia, and is now in charge of the new unit at Texas A. & M.

All ROTC units throughout the country were praised by the Colonel, who believes that "they are doing a very good job, giving the men a sound basis of fundamentals while managing to arouse their interest in military life.

Colonel Whittaker also stated that he disapproved of compulsory military training because of the resentment it would cause, but that the question is not worth discussing at present since such measures are obviously not necessary. He expressed no doubt, however, that it would be established if future conditions warrant it.