The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1902-07-03
A CENTURY At
WEST POINT
The Great Academy.
INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS.

| INTERESTING UBSEkV ATlUN5.
w. L. Sawyer in Youths Cosnpa9ion.
! It will be hundred years next Oc-
tober since Joseph G. Swift, of Massa-
chusetts, and Simon M. Levy Of Mary
land, were graduated from the United
States Military Academy at West
Point. They composed the graduating
class, and tie whole of 1t. Appointed
cadets in May, 1900, they had in
twenty-nine months com mpleted their
courses in engineering and artillery
tactics, all the instruction that the
institution then afforded.
In Its first ten years the academy
graduated only seyenty-one men, about
as many as graduate now in single
year. It was not much more than a
mathematical school for few cadets,
but weak as it was it had enemies, who
fancied they saw behind 1t scheme to
build up an army aristocracy. People
thought better Of it after the war Of
1912, in which practically all the
graduates were engaged but the
academy as we know it did not
| begin to be until after the year OF
1917.
Then the curriculum was broaaened,
the course was len gthened to fur
years, and the number of cadets was
increased. The embryo officers were
given better lodgings, too. Previous
to 1915 they had been housed in a
relic Of the Revolution, known as the
Long Barracks, rickety frame struc.
ture that offered little more protection
than tent.
But even alter new barracks had
been built, Spartan simplicity was still
the rule. Those Were the days of
wood fires and whale-oil lamps. They
knew what zero weather was, there en-
the Highlands OF the Hudson, and it
frequently descended upon them when
they had nothing but green logs to
burn. Old graduates used to tell of
swathing themselves in blankets dur
ing the evening study-hours, and
slowly freezing In spite OF that.
Nevertheless they learned their les
sons. The Mexican war proved 1t,
war in which our troops-w every en-
>gagement. The Civil war confirmed
It, for in sixty of the most important
battles the command on one side or
both was held by West Point gradu-1
atas, ,~all but five of the sixty battles
being SO commanded on both sides. In
the later Indian wars and the conflicts
in Cuba and the Philippines, West
Pointers haye "heared up dem onstra-
tions" that a trained man is more
effective than an amateur soldier.
So the nation has learned its lesson.
Once, long ago, resolution was intro
duced in Congress to cut off the pay
and ratiops of the cadets-whlch in
effect meant to abolish the academy.
Two years ago the academy appropria-
ton bill so increased the number of
cadets that, under the new apportion-
ment, the maximum membership may
\ be over fye hundred. Such contrast
inc facts show how the institution has
grown in the esteem of the country.
In some other institutions of learn
ing it has been intimated that young
man was "permitted 70 graduate" but
at West Point no man graduates unless
he has earned the right.
Consider just what this implies.
Every cadet is required to complete
and be pronounced proficient in every
prescribed study, so that individual
aptitude tor one, and consequent ex-
ceilence. in it, does not make up Tor
deficiencies in another study. And
the course IN astronomy, for instance,
to which college curriculum often
ievoies year, is we'll covered at
West Point-tnIough the intensity OF
method-in two and bali months.
To about every six cadets there is an
iustrncfnr M man ran eVad0 the