Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1907-07-06
Greatest Military Academy In
the World Is Located
There.
to Duty the Striking
Characteristic of Amer
lean Soldier.
John @. Calhoun, Irish-Amer-
. lean War Secretary, Devised
Training Scheme.
SYSTBk NOT CHANGED IN CENTURY

Every American citizen is proud of
West Point Military Academy where
young men are trained in military
tactics in order to be prepared for
the defense of their country If
called upon. Foreign soldiers who
have visited West Point say it is the
most thoroughly equipped of any of
the military academies of the world.
The gradutes from West Point come
from the common people and not
from the aristocracy, as in some
countries in Europe. Attention to
duty is the characteristic of the grad
uate of West Point. The art of war
is complex one and John G. Cal
houn, an Irish-American who was
Secretary of War in 1917, saw, after
the second war with Great Britain
that it would be necessary to have
a man at the head of the military
academy who had thorough training
in discipline and he selected for this
position Nathaniel Thayer, of Massa-
chusetts, a graduate of Dartsmouth
College, and made him superin-
NNANhts AhO oitn utNlStu DIV
Thayer is almost identical with the
plan in use in the acaedmy today.
Soldier making was a theme of
which Col. Thayer had an almost in
tuitive comprehension. He realized
that it was not matter of curricu-
lum merely, but as we'll of physique
and character. 1t was necessary to
produce a type. So thorough was his
plan that up to Secretary Elihu
Roots administration no changes
were made in requirements except a
more complete knowledge of geogra-
ply and United States history. TheA
cadet is not free agent at COLLEGE
left to elect at will what pleases hi
individual tastes and develops h
own propensities. West Pointer
after being graduated, are to follo
as only happens at one other ia
tuition, the Annapolis Naval Acad
one occupation. They are dominant ca
by the spirit of the corps and must
have or develop the taste of the
soldier There is no fear of loss in
dividually, of becoming a machine.
The courses, prepared with definite
aim and balance, are taken by all
with the certainty that a thorough
knowledge of fundamental principles
and how to apply them is higher
standard of scholarship than a shall
low knowledge of wider scope.
There is just as much time for
academic work, for military work, for
physical culture, for athletics, and
there is no leniency for a boys lapses
at any time. The academic day is
completed at $3.50 p. M, and all the
outdoor military instruction, includ-
ing guard mounting, is given con-
secutively after that period Drill,
lectures on the preparation of rec
ords and returns, customs of the
service, uniform and equipments,
military etiquette, horse equipment,
infantry, cavalry and artillery are
put into a schedule, every moment of
which is estimated and its full CON-
tent predetermined. And with all
this rigor of requirements. West
Point has time to stand high in
athletics.
There is no attempt at West Point
to cram all that soldier should
know into his brain at one time.
There two studies at a time are con-
sidered enough. 1t is really great
technical school where the simple
fundamental principles of a course
are made perfectly clear and a rea-
sonable facility in handling the pro-
cess necessary in their practical APP
plication demanded of each man.
Every day each member of class is
under fire of the instructor, and he
and every other cadet knows lust
where he and every other cadet
stands in every study. Work he sees
brings results, and his whole day is
battle to attain place and avoid the
odium of being found" 1t is an in
st1tution where nothing is left to
whim or caprice, where the COM
mandant reports:
THE uniform of cadets has been
in no way changed except that a new
shoe has been adopted, which is salts
factory in appearance, in wear and
in comfort to the foot. The former
hop shoe has been replaced by
dancing pump"
Hazing is over, say all the officers.
but there is a beneficent method still
in vogue by which the local starch
is taken out of the newly impressed
freshman. There is a tale of one who
came with clippings from home news
papers editorializing on his clever
ness and marked ability. 1t was
necessary that he learn them all in
order that by repetition on demand
the upper classman might be duly
awed by his presence. 1t worked. III.
was not found and is no doubt onq
OF those now who know that efficien
service to the country demands
special oratorical or laudatory sk
1t is the West Point method to
and say nothing about it.