The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-18
THE ARMY As A ScHoo1.
Views OF Gen. Kauts, Gen. Wallace, and N
Mcst Point Hoard of Ylnllora

Views of Gen. Kauts, Gen. Wallace, and the
West Point Board OF Visitors.
WASHINGTON, Oct 17-Somo rather noticea-
| BILE suggestions are current In regard to In
creasing popular military education. or rather
increasing the number Of tho people who
annually receive regular training In the pro-
| fession OF arms.
First We have the report OF the Board Of Visit
ors at West Point, who recommend On increase
In the number OF cadets at the Military Acad-
envy. Their proposal is moderate and no great
changes would follow. Tho accommodations at
West Point are already sufficient In many re-
| spects. ana since the instructors are drawn
from the army II would DO easy to provide q
Few more. The present Is no doubt favor
| able time for this proposal. since wo see 80
many vacancies In the army that large num-
Der OF appointments to Second Leutennncics
have recently been made to them from civil
life. or course. with other things equal. It is
presumably better that thorough education
Tor four years should precede such appoint
ments.
But rs an Offset. we are to remember that
this is nm exceptional year the vacancies in
question being produced by special legislation
ON retirements which cannot hayo an equal
effect in any subsequent year. Indeed. It
would not be surprising to find no vacancies
Ior civilians next year. or ct any rate in 1903.
Hence that argument alone would not be SUI
flcient for increasing the number Of cadets ct
West Point
But the main ground on which this proposal
10 made Is that larger number Of men could
be made educated soldiers at slight addl-
donal expense. and hence larger source Of
l reliance for good officers could be assured In
case OF the outbreak Of war. No doubt there
| Is something In this view. although 1t may
be partly ofrset by the fact that some OF tho
National Guard organizations now give much
oettor training for officers and prospective Of
hcers than In former times. and that system
OF instruction by army officers In schools and
aa not eass A'h hunars9s
instItutions with the rldiments Of drili ind
to sst ae Since ns mot
army stnd9yt i.egisstsr contains the names Of 13J
VINO o. s t highest IN the military
must presume that their names would not he
RS,s sS ia. among those q army officers unless
here hays ~ ADDITIONAL soarce military
Assuming, however. tint thcro care arc good s rea.
st loE + sSxng pore cadets educated At Vest
In e1eess Of the numbers needed in any giy 81,
All mot to be
that tie Govesnment has educated and main.
tanned them for four years. giving them the
admirable start for civil lie. Wthoat hay having
IN return any 81 the seryee for which
81 isS SSssn i. i s rs
as o9 nsnRs 5 dssns the
ssfIss ss sa Sss
was duly graduated. and has been in tho army
ae R@ oS as sssu Military I
from the point Of view not only Of the officer
but Ct the enlisted man He says in his report
regular army can now provide to be that Of
popular military instruction.
s sss'
+. Xiii il sssa = .sSsS
ssd e g. r. isus. ss ne
snf Ds U # %
Union In proportion to the population serve As RUE
This This scheme was reilly propounded by Gen.
IL Ills Sisw ~ further consderas
Gn pe5haps with It
T. r.
o the Of III fsS ~ %h %es @
Ue COuNcIVeu lnlo d military uC9u6my. Inc
company. officer Is the true instructor OF his
men men" He Proposed Aye years term Of en-
at West Point, under the company officer. and
collections OF 300 or 500 men at the end Of the
fah FEAR OF serce fer trarstsf to West
be given. and commissions would be furnished
being discharged with diplomas Of merit merit.
Those not chosen at the. end Of the fourth year
would DO discharged at that time.
Gen. Wallace it il certainly true that the times
would be rather favorable for experimenting
army Ia now exceptional. We cannot forget
the events OF last winter. which show that out
breaks arc still likely to occur: but for ordi.
nary duties the educated soldiers should be
competent. and also for Indian campaigning.
these projects Is perhaps in the way OF sug-
sestion: rather than In 2 radical change in the
no doubt in the direction Of giving a military
edusati9n by some method to a larger number
crcasing the size VI the standing army