The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-07

that is so manly in torJuring a younger
schoolmate who has not the ghost of
chance TO defend himself or now such cor
duct fits young fellow for the command
OF others. Il is also hard to see how
nanliness is shown by the erosion of
rules. and the establishment Of al a= PIT de
corps so ar variance with the ostensibIe
purpose and spirit Of the institution that
il causes cadets tc lie. preyaricate. and
dodge the truth in every other way. rather
than violate the unwritten traditions cf
the campus
L Is. of course. obvious that the man
who is to become an officer in the United
States Army or Navy should be as fine
type Of American manhood as can be
found He should be physically strong.
though he need not be pugjlEsJ: he should
BE- brave beyond question; he should be
thoroughly honorable and high-mfnded.
and he should be capable of unques5ioning
and implicit obedience on occasion. and
OF thinking for himself in cases where
that is necessary. Such man Is likely
TO come through the rough initiation OF
Eazing without serious injury. unless
and this is an important eXcepJion-he is
CT particularly sensitive nature. or ply
sically not strong enough TO endure the
severest forms q the discipline imposed
on the .'plebe-" Neither Of these things
reed interfere with his ability as an Of
fcer- The greatest military geniuses have
net been men noted for physical strength.
especially in boyhood. and il often hap
pens that q boy VINO is somewhat delicate
/ at sixteen or eighteen years OF age. de
veIops into a tough. wiry. and enduring
soldier VIII power counts for so much in
| the ordinary affairs of life that If a boy
/ has the pluck 10 go through the necessary
discipline OF cadership, and has 10 serious
physical defect. he may be all the better
soldier for having had to take some care
OF himself Army veterans Viii remember
that when the Northern troops were sub
jected 10 what was TO many OF them the
exceedingly trying climate Of The South il
was not the big men who. as a rule. stood
II best Many Of these, unaccustomed to
taking care of their health. were scared
and disheartened by slight Illnesses. or
really succumbed TO malaria and fever.
while the little, thin. lightweight soldier
took II all as a matter of course. and got
OF easily The story Of Francis Park
mans iRdefatigeble Iabors shows how
much can be done by determined man
even when much more heavily Handicapped
by physical weakness than any West Point
cadet is likely TO be.
But boy between the ages Of sixteen
and twenty is not mature man. and if
he is Of a sensitive and conscientious dis
position. and Is determined to keep llp
with his necessary work. and al the same
tii--e endure the harassment OF perfectly
unnecessary tOrments from fellow-cadets.
the consequences are not likely TO be good
Everything should lie done to develop
physical strength and courage II the ca
det. It is unnecessary TO dwen on this
point. But the gymnasium the ordinary
games Of the campus, and the exercises
required in all military schools should 10
this sufficiently. In addition TO this boys
generally manage 10 size up their fell
lows without TcsOTting TO such obviously
artificial means as "eagIing,- the sweat
BATH or any of the other torments de-
vised by ingenious young barbarians. To
an ordinary boy the detection Of coyyardice
or lack Of spirit in a coIrrzaion Is not a
all hard. Why should the cadets Of West
Point and Annapolis think it necessary 10
test the character OF each newcomer by
such elaborate and peculiar methods as
those which, by their own confession and
the testimony Of graduates. have been en-
ployed2 The reason probably IS that haz-
ing IS tradition, and the average cadet
OF q military school is worse than a Chi
nese about having ancient and time hon
oTed traditions disturbed. Possibly that
is one reason why, in the past. the army
and navy have been so hampered by red
tape. Respect for moth-eaten usages.
when ground into man in early youth.
Is difficult 10 outgrow