The San Francisco call., 1904-08-16
FINDS FAULT
WITH CADETS
Captain Frank /. Winn Dis
Germs Flaws in the Con-
duct of University Soldiers
LAUDS THE COMMANDER
Inspecting Officer First Be-
slows Praise and Then Crit
icism Upon the Students
Berkeley Office San Francisco Call,
214S Center Street, Aug. Is

214S Center Street, Aug. Is
Captain Frank L. Winn finds much
10 praise and some TO condemn in the
conduct Of the student soldiers at the
University of California. In report
as inspecting officer for the Pacific di-
vision Of the United States army that
ne has just fled with the War Depart
ment Captain Winn eXpatiates at some
length on the good and bad points of
Ihe CADETS as he observed them when
ne inspected the university regiments
just before the last commencement.
At the outset Captain Winn proceeds
70 give nigh praise to Captain Henry
oe h Waite, professor of military sci
ence at the university and commander
OF the TWO regiments. for the good re-
suits that he has obtained with the
student soldiers under adverse circum-
stances These results he finds mani
rest IN the extremely good spirit that
perVades the student body in respect to
the military department Continuing,
he says:
Professor Waite Is entitled TO special credit
for bringing about and preserving this most i'm
portant condition OF success in a great
Soay OF students Of the diversified interest and
hsplts that obtain al the University OF Cali
fornia- The cadets were promptly formed and
thereafter went through the various exercises
n "hleh they have received instruction. They
- 41ASHs- the various movements IN q bus
llessAAe. spirited way that reflects credit
upon the scope Of the instruction and upon
me general interest manifested By the stu
Al the students were in the prescribed uni
.olNl, and, with few exceptions, their cloth
ing presented a clean. neat-htting appearance
ana the cadets themselves looked clean
hea4lhy and active. Many OF the cadet officers
l-gb.essed g, me as extremely successful IN their
nli4ItAry work. and il is quite remarkable that
they accomplish 50 much
IN marked contrast 10 this extrava
CANT praise is the criticism that creeps
into the tail end Of Captain Winn's
report. Here he furnishes particulars as
numerous as the items on a plumbers
olI. with all the things that he
praised IN the beginning he finds at
least one flaw worth calling 10 the
attention Of the War Department.
or instance, Captain Winn finds that
the cadets that looked clean, healthy
ana active" also persistently and con
tinuously dropped their heads while
marching, at least the great majority
OF them did. Instead OF being erect
ana soidlerly, most OF them, with the
exception Of the freshmen, are round
shouldered, thin-chested and absolutely
lacking IN that character which is COW
cred by the term a military bearing"
Many Of the cadet officers. who before
appeared as extremely successful in
their military work, now make mis-
takes that show a lack Of practice
IN the forms Of instruction" Contin-
uing, he says:
The cadets preserved reasonably we'll the
position o. a soldier while the inspector was
n Iront of them, but Immediately after he
passed 70 another organization many OF them
turned their heads about talked and other
wise entirely disregsrded the requirements
OF the position OF attention. which infrsctfon
the cadet officers apparently took no stepe
10 correct 1t is evident the Importance of a
soldierly bearing and Conduct in the rsrt<s is
understood but that ink
II sufficient 20 maintain such bearing only
while they think they are under critical OBJ
seryation.
I take II that the discipline Is not severe
enough TO maintain efficiency among many
None OF the privates out Of the ranks seem
70 salute an officer, nor were they called 10
attention by their cadet officers on the ap-
proach OF the commandant.
The execution OF inspection Of arms was
generally poor. and the weak, nervous way in
which the rife was handed to and received
from the inspector Indicated lack OF practice
strength and self-cOnhdence. which 1 assume
is characteristic Of the individual work OF
the 9rivates
Some Of the companies went through the
simpler movements with degree OF accuracy,
gree ot drnl efficiency, while in others there
was slackness, hstlessness and general mat
tentlon I on the part OF the pr1vates' as well as
hcers and non-commissioned officers.
Captain Winn finds fault, too. with
the size of the drill grounds, the
amount allotted for the support of the
military department and the manner
of instruction 70 cadets. The drill
grounds, he finds, contracts the move
ments of the command, so that none
of the larger evolutiOns can be exc
cuted in exact conformity to drill reg
ulations. The s2600 allotment for the
support Of the department is too small
for such a command and should be
increased. Regarding the drill, Captain
Winn believes that it is too much TO
expect efficiency with less than fifty
practice days in the year, with student
officers changing every year, and he
suggests that the commandant be as
sisted by permanent paid instructors,
the same as in other departments of
the university, if the best results would
be obtained.