The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-19
The Officers Training 0rgani-
cation Now Under Way.
Lecture Emphasizes Great I'M
pOrtance OF Discipline.
PLAIN TALK BY COMMANDMENT
discipline Something Which
Cannot Be OyerwOrked.
1t Is Necessary for the Success
of American Arms.

The importance of discipline-that
something which is the very founda-
ton of the American army-is one of
the things that will be impressed on
men of the third officers training
camp from now on until the end of the
course. West Pointers, and there are
several among the officers of the
school believe discipline is 2 subject
that cannot be overworked in the
making % 4 soldier or an officer, and
the training school for officers here
is patterned after the United States
military academy as far as conditions
will permit
And early indications are that it will
be a smart, snappy set of men-men
courteous, erect, polite-that receive
their badges of merit when the roll is
called next April ).
The first lecture to the embryo Of
ficers on discipline was, in part, as
follows:
%''Discipline in its full sense is not
complete until the response of the
soldier is the same on the battlefield
as upon the drill ground" the COM
mandant declared An organization
of intelligent men may be drilled in
a comparatively short time so that on
the parade ground they appear to be
we'll disciplined. The same organiza-
tion taken into battle probably would
give early Indications of a complete
lack Of discipline because the habit of
mind had not been sufficiently
ground in.
Discipline to the trained eye is i'm
dicated by innumerable conditions:
The manner in which the uniform is
worn. Whether every button is right
side up end the flap buttOned. Wheth-
er the hat cords Of the men of a whole
organization are uniformly worn on
the hats. Whether a soldier is shaved,
is clean and fresh at breakfast time
Whether his shoes or other footwear
are properly cleaned and polished or
properly oiled, and the condition of
his rifle. The manner in which his
bunk and his personal effects are
Kept. The way in which he renders
his salute. The manner of speech and
his loyalty to his organization and to
his officers, and as to how he per-
forms the duties placed upon him,
whether he is on guard duty in the
dead of the night when he is not
watched continuously, or whether he
be on parade.
Along with discipline goes esprit
de corps. one disciplined man in the
squad is not sufficient. Every mem
Der of that squad must be disciplined
Then the feeling or pride gradually
tAlles possession of the minds of the
men. If one of their number turns
out Improperly equipped. every MEM
Der Of the squad feels that he has been
personally sighted and that the honor
of his squad has not been properly UP
held by that particular member. And
they cali his attention to it, and by
their action they assist in obtaining a
high degree of discipline.
The first desire of this training
camp is to start you gentlemen upon
the right lines of discipline, because
regardless of your intelligence. of your
special qualifications, you cannot be
Of any use to your flag as an officer
unless you have inherent within you a
highly developed sense and apprecia-
tfon of discipline. If you can not be
cheerful in the process of acquiring
discipline yourself, you can never be
able to bring soldiers to a high de-
gree of discipline. And if soldiers do
not attain a high degree of discipline
before going into battle, it is no less
a crime than wholesale murder to
send them in
IF as officers you do not have
sour platoC ms properly trained the
time is certain to come when some
hight on patrol in No Mans Land
you will find that under the bright
light of he star shell some man will
fail to respond to his previous train