The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-10-01
WEST POINTERS Do
NOT LIKE ARMY LIFE
Midshipmen and Ensigns
Give Up Commissions
For Private Life.
~ aoDERIck CLIFFORD.

creasing frequency with which young
officers who have been educated at
the expense of Uncle Sam, at West
Point or Annapolis, with the hope that
some day they may become brilliant
admirals or generals, have been hand
Ing in their designations before they
have performed a days service for the
country, Is one of the problems con-
fronting the War and Navy Depart
ments. Within the last month eleven
midshipmen and ensigns have present
ed their designations to the Navy De-
partment, with reasons sufficient to
cause the department to accept them.
Neither Annapolis nor West Point at
present has a large waiting list, and
where in former years there were fif-
teen or twenty applicants for entry
there are hardly any now.
The War Departments attention
was recently called to the large num-
Der of enlisted men who have been
buying their discharge from the regu'
lar army, by Major General Frederick
D. Grant, who admitted he was at a
loss to explain the reason for the exc
dus from the service.
The War and Navy Departments are
worried by the developments in the
situation. and have started investga-
tious to ascertain the causes, and de-
termine what steps can be taken to
check the increasing number of appli-
cations for discharge.
There has always been a large num-
Der OF enlisted men seeking discharge
but recently the applications for resig-
nation among the midshipmen and
ensigns have been growing by such
leaps and bounds, that the problem is
becoming serious. II the number of
graduates continues to diminish, and
army and navy continue to decrease
drastic measures will have to be taken
to keep the military and naval estab-
lishment up to the standard.
The wave of sentiment in favor OF
universal peace Is supposed by some
officials to be in part responsible for
the designations. With the probabili-
ty OF war becoming less year by year.
officers and privates of the army and
sailors and officers Of the navy are
losing their zest for military service.
and civilian are turning their thoughts
from war and military service, to diff
ferent lines of industry. When the
summer vacations are over, and the
President and his cabinet return to
Washington, it is probable that the
whole subject will be gone over at the
White House, with a view to deciding
upon some means Of meeting the stu.
alton.
The Navy and War Departments
have been periodically confronted with
this question of the withdrawal of
young officers from the service, par
ticularly at q time when their school.
ing has been concluded and they are
about to enter upon active service
When it is believed that it would prove
improbable to retain the young Off
GER the resignation Is generally &C
cepted. The army does not suffer as
much from this cause as does the navy
Each year there are a large number OF
young officers in the graduating class
from Annapolis who find that their ca
reers are checked by seasickness.
Major General Leonard Wood, Chief
of Staff Of the Army, recently refused
to permit young cavalry lieutenant
to resign and engage in civil pursuits
because the officer wished to get mar
ried. He granted the young officer
three months leave with permission tC
10 beyond the seas and enjoy his
honeymoon.
Cupid is today feared by the com
manding officers of the army anG
navy. No form of inocculation has
been devised to cure the wounds made
by the darts of Loves messenger al
Annapolis and West Point. Command
ing officers in the army and navy who
are constantly confronted with this
problem, wish there were something
to keep the young men away from the
wiles Of womankind while they are
fresh from the restrictions placed or
them in the schools. Nearly all Of
the eleven young midshipmen wht
have asked that their designations be
accepted so that they may enter civil
life. are betrothed to wealthy young
women who do not favor their con
tinuing In the service Of Uncle Sam.
Cupid has been fought in vain by the
officials Of both branches. Many
young midshipmen secure transfer!
from the navy to the army when they
find upon their first cruise that they
are susceptible to seasickness. while
others ask for transfers, believing tina,
matrimonial conditions are better
The young wives, as a rule, do not rel
ish the idea of having their husband.
wander all over the world on Ions
cruises. Then, too. the midshipmer
on joining the army is almost immedi
ately advanced to the grade of SECOND
lieutenant. and occasionally to that O
first lieutenant. This also brings ar
increase in pay. which is not general
~ spurned by the young officers.
'The betrothal of young officers t.
Il rich young women is more often thar
not. the cause Of the designations.
says Major General VIM. II. Carter
ssIn many of the cases which l hav,
personally investigated. find the pa
rents of the young women prefer t
put the young man in business. rathe
than have him transferred to the Phil
ippines, or some other distant point
upon leaving West Point Academy
The designations from the army ar
Yu