New-York tribune., 1908-09-05
THE MILITARY SCHOOL.
Preparatory Training Inualuablc to
Cadet or Midshipnlan.

Nowhere perhaps in this country is tne salue
Of training at military school felt more than
at the two great government academies, West
Point and Annapolis. When the newly appoint
ed cadet or midshipman reports for duty one of
the first questions asked him is. Have you ever
had any military training?"
If he can answer in the affirmative, and il his
answer shows that he has attended one of the
numerous good military preparatory schools
which are scattered here and there In almost
every state of the Union. the chances are that
he viii be made either an officer or a petty Of
hcer in of the companies of the new class.
The youth who has attended a good military
school has many advantages over the one who
has been at school which has no military de-
partment, and these are quickly recognized by
the officers stationed at the United States mill
tary and naval academies. In the first place,
he knows the manual of arms and is supposed
to know less about drill. He is also
supposed to have learned the Importance of I'M
mediate and implicit obedience to orders.
For these reasons the officers of both the ser
vice schools and especially is this true of the
Naval Academy. inclined to take greater
interest III him than they would In youth who
is entirely green, who does not know shoulder
arms from port arms" and who cannot even
keep step properly.
A boy going FROM any one Of the most noted
civil military schools to Annapolis is immedi-
ately made a petty officer or an officer in the
~plebe' battalion. Occupying such position.
he naturally has responsibilities thrust upon
him. and hence comes directly under the eyes of
his superior officers and thus is enabled to earn
more quickly than his fellows a reputation for
eficiency-or lack of it, according to the boy
himself-which will last throughout his course
at the academy and which may prove of great
value to him.
There can be little question about both army
ard navy officers liking to see boys enter the
government academies who have attended mill
tary schools and who have in a sense been
broken into military discipline and practices.
In later years and especially within the last
two or three years the government has shown
its appreciation of giving students in prepara-
tory schools colleges military training by
designating commissioned officers as conman-
dants of various schools and colleges throughout
the country It has, as a further incentive tow
ard military training, offered TO some of the
best of these schools and colleges appointments
as second lieutenants in the regular army to
those of their graduates who stand highest In
efficiency and general military ability
This recognition on the part of the govern
nent has undoubtedly done as much as any
Thing else to increase the number Of military
schools, and has added a great incentive TO the
youth of the country 10 go TO SUCH SctioolS- Inc
result has been that there are now scattered
throughout the United States thousands of
young men who have had excellent military IN
struction and who, in of war, would be OF
the greatest value to their country.
1t has been often said that there is too much
brutal hazing at both Annapolis and West
Point and that the tendency OF any military
school is toward a certain amount of brutality.
The writer of this article went through his
.plebe" year at Annapolis when kazinS was ID
vogue and while he got his full share. he can
say that so far as his class was concerned,
there was no brutal hazng. On the other hand.
il seems to be the consensus of opinion Oh com
missioned officers in both branches of the ser
vice that the boys who go to military schools
have trained into them unusually high sense
of honor and fair play. They are also taught as
they never could be taught in other schools or
colleges the necessity for controlling their tenn
pers and obeyng without question their supe-
riors This is training which it is believed is
of jmportance in either civil or military life
Certainly if a boy has ambitions TO enter the
army navy or marine corps. he will find 1T ad-
yisable to go to some high class military school
first Il N. N"