Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-12

or night, that was not an eye witness
| OF some performance Of duty being done
by a West Pointer, and never saw a
West Pointer flag In his duty. | want
| TO be frank, gentlemen. You cannot
| get body Of men of absolutely uniform
| good conduct, but am able to say 1t
was my good fortune to see the role Of
duty performed in q way that made a
man proud to be an American and a
| fellow-citlzen OF such people.
Your business here at West Point
has been TO teach men TO do well in
war, but II Is a noteworthy fact that
you have also taught them to do well
in peace. The highest political posi-
lions In the land have been held. not
exceptionally, but again and again by
West Pointers. Col. Mills, | make an
swer that any man who is asked the
question must make answer when
say that. while we would have the right
to expect that West Point would do
well, we could not have expected that
she you'd have done so very well as
she has done.
WORD TO GRADUATES.
And now In closing want to say
III %
and the younger graduates as well.
was greatly struck the other day by an
article Of one OF your instructors here,
|, himself graduate Of West Point, in
which he dwelt upon the changed con-
ditions of warfare and Of the absolute
need that a man who was TO be q good
officer should meet these changed con-
dltions. | think Ii liz going TO be
l,o III a. A.. n.
officer In the future than II has been in
the past. | think that In addition to
the courage and steadfastness that
have always been the prime requisites
In soldier you have got TO show a
far greater power OF individuality than
has been necessary before, II you are
going to get up to the highest level of
ofiicerlike performance OF duty
"As has been we'll said the develop
ments of war in the last few years have
shown that the unit viii not be the reg
iment or the company but the unit will
be the individual man II he does not
know how to shoot how to shift for
himself, how both to obey orders and TO
accept responsibility when an emer-
geney comes, he won't have any orders
to obey. If he IL not able to do all OF
that, you had better have him out OF
the army, In a battle hereafter each
man Is going to be to a considerable
extent alone. II will be so that the
youngest officers will have 10 take
much of the responsibility that In for
mer wars fell ON their seniors, and
many OF the enlisted men will have to
do most OF their work without any SUI
pervislon Of any officer. The man will
have TO act largely alone and II he
shows tendency to huddle up to some
one else his usefulness is pretty nearly
at an end. III he IL nervous. so that he
wants TO feel the touch of elbows, he
had better be out OF the battle; and
you officers, II you are going TO do well.
have got TO learn how TO perform the
duty which is so essential
THE task Is hard one. and you
want 10 face that task You want TO
realize that, more than ever before, the
honor or the shame OF the country de-
Ponds upon the high average Of char
acter and capacity Of the officers Of en-
listed men, and that high average OF
character and capacity In the enlisted
man can 10 large degree only be OBJ
tanned through you. the officers and
that you have got TO devote your time
In bringing up to the standard the fight.
ing efficiency Of the men under you, not
merely in doing your duty so that you
cannot be called TO account for failure
TO perform It. but doing II In a way
that Will make each man under you able
to perform his.
PRAISE FOR REGULARS.
Now l want you TO weigh what
say. Tor II you take only half OF II you
will invert what say. / found In my
regiment that the best man was the
man who had been In the regular army
In actual service out In western cam
paigning on the plains: that II he had
been a good man In the regular army
out on the plains, he was the best man
that l could get hold Of: and, on the
other hand, II he had served In time OF |
peace couple Of years In an eastern
garrison he practically had next 10 |
nothing outside the parade ground |
and barracks to do; or II he had been |
in an ordinary national guard regi- |
ment that one Of two things was true |
If he had understood thu. ne had only |
learned per cent OF war, he was that |
s per cent better than any one else,
and that was big advancement. and
II he had thought that he had learned |
the other 80 per cent. he was worse
than any one else.
WHAT MAKES A SOLDIER.
Now. gentlemen, ! do not intend to
preach 20 you on the performances OF |
your duties here. but II is your special
business to learn them. do ask you to
remember the difference In the military
profession from what II has been In the
past. and to remember continually that
does not consist OF excel
lence on the parade ground, but eff
cheney in actual service on the field,
and that the usefulness, and really
great usefulness OF the parade grounds
and barracks work comes In its being
used, not as an end. but as one OF the
elements 10 the end. | ask you to re-
that | do not ask you 10 re-
what you cannot forget, the
lesson OF loyalty, OF courage. OF stead