The Harrison times., 1916-05-13

deuce OF a time OF II. Someone is
sure to send the press announcements
to the yearling class in the academy,
and the members at once prepare
proper reception for the youngster
whose home papers prophesy that he
will graduate at the head OF his class
and be a lieutenant general before he
is twenty-five years old.
Many ana many napiess "p'eSS
at the academy has been obliged to
stand in a company street of the camp
and there to an assembled multitude
of admiring yearlings read with prop
er emphasis and infection the print
ed accounts OF his own accomplish
ments and the prophesy of his future
soldier greatness.
Hint to Aspiring Boys.
There may be a hint in the follow
ing incident which will be OF value to
boys who are going to enter the com
petitive lists for appointments as ca.
dets at Uncle Sans school, When
several boys, sometimes there are a
great many of them, appear be-
fore an examining board In com
petition fer cadetship appointments,
each one Is asked separately why
he wants to go to West Point.
Nine out of ten of the unthinking
youngsters answer that they want to
go to the academy for the chance to
get an education. Now Uncle Sam
educates cadets, but he does not want
them to desert by the resignation route
as soon as the academy course is COM
pleted.
In one competitive examination held
in the congressional district once rep
resented by Serene E. Payne of tariff
fame, there were nine candidates. Eight
of them in answering the regulation
question said they wanted the educa-
tion the academy afforded. The ninth
boy said that he wanted to become a
soldier and to stay soldier He is in
the army today, and is getting a little
gray-haired after a score of years Of
hard and efficient service.
West Point cadets will meet in the
army good many men appointed to
the service from civil life and also
men who have been promoted from the
ranks. There is a deep-rOoted belief
in the minds of civilians that the army
officer who has risen from the ranks
or who has been appointed from civil
life is Systematically snubbed by his
West Point colleagues. That the be-
lief has nothing in fact upon which to
base itself seems to be no bar whatso-
ever to it's growth
Aeropane's Military Value.
American army officers say that al
through the operations have been
conducted on a comparatively small
scale in Mexico, the military value
of the aeroplane has been proved
beyond all question. A few years
ago the flying machine as an i'm
plement of warfare was a dubious
quantity; today it has demonstrated
it's worth beyond all question.
American army officers who serve
as operators in flying machines re-
ceive larger pay than those who serve
on foot or on horseback. Cavalrymen
infantrymen and field artillerymen in
battle run terrible risks, but it is only
while they are in battle that the great
dangers are encountered. The aero
plane man takes his life in his hands
every time he sails above the earth
and 1t matters not whether it be the
most peaceful Of Sabbath days or the
time of the raging Of conflict. Con-
gress has just voted an emergency ap-
preparation to improve the aeroplane
service of the country. Within a
short time additional officers will be
detailed as operators Of these ma
chimes, and the wonder Is whether
they will look upon their new duties
altogether with pleasure.
The army officer never asks a ques'
ton, Of course, where duty is con-
cerned. II he must fly he must fly
and if he must fight he must fight, but
it seems that in human nature most
men naturally would prefer the less
dangerous duty. However the rec
ords show that the aviators go to their
work Just as calmly as the infantry
officer goes to the parade ground to
line up his command and to listen to
the strains of the Star Spangled Ban
ner when the flag is lowered at sun
set.
Hard to Hit an Aeroplane.
When | was in Europe recently and
at the front with the French armies
saw several engagements between bat
teries of antiaircraft guns and aero
planes which were flying over, at
tempting to locate the positions OF the
French batteries.
At one time saw twenty-nne shells
break In succession about a German
Taube. There were twenty-nine
wreaths OF smoke in the air all at
once, for the firing was so quick that
the first wreath had not disappeared