Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-21
TIE CODE OF THE CADET
Apparently Little Things that Count
at West Point.
DEMENT'S PILE UP BY OMISSIONS
some Offences Never Reach the
Record stage, but Not So In the
Case of Jamison, who Told
Lie and was sFound.,

81 inc Military academy, there II the
usual number Of young men. who having
had a chance at West Point are anxious
to return there and help to fiji the va
oancies. These youths are the cadets
who failed. or according 10 cadet slang,
were found IN the January examina-
tons.
No other examination means as much
TO the cadet as that OF January. The
plebe. who enters merely as a conditional
cadet. does not get his commission until
he passes II, while 20 the first elassman
IL is the examination that will probably
determine his final class standing, and
from that his rank and branch Of service
IN the army. A pretty general wedding
l out takes place and the number Of failures
in January far exceeds that Of the other
sema-annuai examination In June. This
January about twenty cadets failed.
The young man 80 dropped had &C
quired a taste Of cadet life. and though
he may have objected TO its severity he
had formed at least a desire to remain.
Besides there is the ordeal OF going back
home 10 his parents. his girl and his COM
psntons with the mark Of a failure upon
him.
So he HES himself to some one in au-
thOrity who may help him to relnstats-
uMnt. He would rather be a turn back
that Is, 10 graduate with some class other
than his own, than not to graduate at all.
The person who to him represents author
ity. the one who can most probably in
terest the secretary of war or the presi-
dent In his behalf. is his congressman
Thus at this time of year there are al
ways floating around Washington. anx-
iously waiting for some favorable turn,
about twenty or thirty one time West
Pointers.
Shortage Worries C0Rgressmen.
The Congressman who does not know very
much about the way things go at West
Point finds himself in a dilemma Here Is
the pride OF his own district. the boy who
succeeded In tons over all others,
who can't get back to West Point. while at
the same time there is the War depart
ment appealing to congress for more cadets
and pleading with each congressman TO
keep constantly a representative from his
district there.
we ought to have at the academy" says
the military authority, the maximum Of
$50. Yet there are now only 4Cs-a shortage
of ~. or about 20 per cent.
SO the congressman consents to go to
the War department and see what can be
done. One of the first inquiries made is
about the young mans standing in dis
ciplne-in other words, how many dement's
has he. and why did he get them. II he
has failed in one study only and has mado
something of a record in others, aud at the
same time has a good standing in discipline,
his case is not hopeless. But II he has a
long string of dement's his prospects are
not very bright
The little things count in making up dis
cipline at West Point. and a very small
matter may cut down a cadets stanSing
very seriously. IL is more the neglect OF
what the authorities think marks a SOL
dierly attention to detail that counts than
any special offense against the law or
Wlitary regulations.
Nrhe shortcomings of the day are all speci-
fled and read out by the adjutsnt before
the cadet corps at parade and then are
afterward posted for corps inspection In
the guard house. The cadet has the privi-
lege Of explaining them away IL he can.
Causes for Dement'S.
"Improperly shaved" collar soiled At
parade. 'one button Of coat unbuttoned."
late at dinner formation ali cost one or
more dement's. Then come "off cadet
limits mot s~aluting officer" introducing
stranger into barracks" liquor in posses
sion that roll UP ten, fifteen or twenty
dement's or perhaps rise 70 the dignity Of
(offences calling for a court-martiaL
l In the term OF six months there Is an
' allowance of l25 dement's. When an
excess Of that number is entered against
a cadet he is found" on discipline. Some
men who have made most valiant and
efficient officers have left the Point
with a long string Of dement's against
them.
"In my plebe year l went to General
Sheridan. who was a friend Of my father,
to ask him TO help me to reinstatement
said an officer who had served his eoun-
try with considerable distinction How
many demerits have your the general
asked me. Only one over the limit !
replied Not so bad, after all was the
answer. with a smile. You have only two
more than ] had"
And how the dement's do pile up dur
ing the six months. One absent-minded
youth forgot 10 draw the curtain Of bis
widow at night and got ten demerits.
his roommate. who was the orderly,
got fifteen. and besides that both Of the
boys spent ten consecutive Saturda aft
ernoons-waiking the area equipped as sen
tries.
Another. who never could wake up at
~reveille. came near being found" on
either "lates' or 'absencesn from mora
ing roll call one young fellow who never
could learn TO carry a nj at the correct
angle was on the way 10 having none at
all 10 carry when a cadet officer was
detailed 10 take that youth each dag ihte
the gymnasium and put him through ths
manual of arms
Legs WouIda't work Right.
Another one goi thFes dement's sysEy
night there was dress parade. because he
could not keep step al dpuhle-anick time
in marching back to barracks. When he
had piled up 100 dement's a special drill
master was detailed 10 quiek-step him
every day. He got through the six months,
but the rainy days Ehen nc parade could
be held helped him out
But there are some offences thai never
reach the record stage" said a West Point
graduate. now an officer in tie army. The
corps doesn't IKE To stand for them. and
the officers don't report them to be read
out al parade or posted In the guard house.
In my plebe days there was a gangiing
young fellow who anne in from the hack