The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-09
"SILENCES" AT WEST POINT
NODE or DISCIPLINE Used
RARELY m THE CADETS.
The Last Case Previous 60 mat % Capt
IonGan was Ten Years Ago Tncn
the Cadets Carried Their Point May
Not Praise ar Blams Their superiors.

Not Praise ar blame Their superiors.
A silence such a. that which has just
l.,sn melted out TO Capt Rufus T.. Longan
by the cadet corTs ~ AN unusual form OF
expressing dissntisfac tion with an officer
or an instructor at West Point said an
army officer The result in the case
Immediately preceding this one some ten
years ago, was that the officer against
VI ON :hs silence was directed waS 70
lie, ed from ,!uty at the Point IL u said
in fact I expect that Capt Iongan in
his cadet days has uttered tho same
opinion that no officer has ever rein
stated himself in the good graces Of the
corps after hs has becn singled out for
such an expression Of di favor
This cadet method Of discipline il a
irving ordeal for both The officer and the
cad Is. During the winter months when
the cadets are in barracks the formations
for meals are made by companies in
the ARA in front 81 the company quarters.
then the companies are marched TO the
mess hail TO break ranks at the entrance.
Meal times are about the only occasions
that the whole body ~ cadets il together.
and the din that arises from the different
tables In the discussion OF the daily duties
and gossip Of the post by the tnO or JbI
young men j. almost dt afeuing
The seating IL by companies. not a
whole company AT a table. hut in the
Same part Of the big me>s room, first
class man nj tho head Of each table the
second and third class men upon either
side Of him and IN. plebe-. or fourth
class men. IN tn" middle. two Of them
upon each side dele gated for m. week
10 pour the milk
The first class man. a. the rnnking
cadet. il Responsible for the table. see.
that thu service - proT"r that no cadet
lakes more butter than he n-e.is and that
no milk u sent hack 10 the kitchen. for
4 such n contingency should ari-.. then
the quantity ~ those two commoditi..~
would ha cut down for THAT particular
tabl.
There - never any ha,ing for the new
mrn here The newcomer may eat a.
much rs he WIsh"s talk ~ much as ha
pl''a-''s and about what b" pl.ass.S pEcrut
tina, he must follow the long established
rules whoa asking for anything II Is
newer h. good enough ~ pas the bread
or Will Won pelnr PASS the Lr.'ad'' hu'
plain. bnInt bread please
Sometimes tpe bin" 81 an army officer
y seen above the gray u III. cadets. or
som. distinguished visitor j. shown
through ~" hail. aud II II always th. duty
~ he army offi.,-r who has h..sn detailed a.
the post officer 81 the dav 10 Tas- through
N" room On hlz tour of insy..ctiOn but
none Of th.sr happenings = q genera
thing nf sufficient moment TO attract this
attention ~ the cadets The ratt.. 81
"ontinu.-- II has b..en that way sinc.
West Point had mess hal The only
thing that brings sil"nc" i the call Of
NtenViou' from some GA" in command
1t was into this din and noise. that
capt Iyougau a. oniCsr - the day. per
hans unconscious ia" r,~r~it ion awaiting
him, entered Al that inst ant every cadet
sat bplt upright in his chair. every tongue
ana every Jaw became mutiuneSs The
whole corps sat AS n frozen Not word
had been spoken - bring about hi.
silence. It had come Instantly without the
least evidence 81 an order. - deri-Iv" look
Or gt.-i IRE uf in-'Ibordinat
The iu.i was 'ha most pointed that
I he ~ ~ jO Young men m the han could
Infiicf tn" silence continued 50 long ~
{ apr Lnugau remained m the hall And
The cadets their -upp"r unfinIsh.'i. were
marched back - confinement ~ their
quarters
-Nrhum attempting ~ 20 into par
tic'Ilgrs - m" grievance the CADETS had
against this part c,ilaT officer u may h-
that her. ~ u code ~ morals az the
Point that ~ inst He'd into every member .
II fh,. corps and hat Ia. mus, make part
If his daily couduCi II b. ~ 10 remain "
j. generally accepted - tho measure hy
which h.. ~ - live II he ~ g. become an
officer. and for that reason he ~ pr-tty
likely 90 believe that 10 ~ a part - the .
..riucai ION for his future work
To toll a cadet he lies ~ 90 bring forth
u challsng- 10 fight To prove that he il a
liar - 90 cause his u-tracism by ms com
radss. and II made matter of official
action. his summary disrnissaI The
charge ~ cpwardiC@ ~ naturally a. singing
an insult And many cadet who has
felt that hi~ courage was quest unai has
gone down On Irritation Walk 80 a bar.
iisi fight IN moonlight in IN. presence ~
hi- and his rivals seconds He may IN. .
taken ~ the hospital with badly bruised .
face and black-ned eve that will keep hun
several days In bed. bu he ~ happv t. ,
have proved his point and the authprit.as
innt dispis- boys fnr merely H.,hting
Their" ~ % diT~r-lc" too ba' wran the
in-t ructpr VIII - = di-ciplana ran and On"
v h. ~ y mar met The former ~ gener-
ally admired nv he cadets. but hey d,--
like he "fficer who exhibits too much the
uua ies II u martinez II WIS for this
reason more than for any "th.r that tho .
rorps carried their point ton years ago
" hen hny Inflicted the silence Treatment .
UPON Cart tLut-ay An Iuputry was
made by The depart msnt and the offending
rffiCer was relieved from duy ~ tho
Academy
IL - hre1Ches ~ rules ~ the Academy
and military regulations that make de-
merits and II II ieneri's that affect the Z
standing IN discipline. that bring extra