Omaha daily bee., 1919-09-20

West Point life is unusually
fatiguing with its never ending drills
aud study, and for that reason
cadets upon entering first go into
camp. The physical training of the
camp is necessary to sustain them
through the life of West Point.
Without it, it is doubtful if any,
even the strongest, could stand the
earnest, deadly grind. An idea of
West Point is obtained by phase
of the statistics of Jack Pershing' S
class-the class of 80
At the end of the first year the
class numbered l07 men. 1t dropped
the next year to SO, then to 83,
Seventy-seven of the original l07
young men were graduated.
Pershing's Classmates.
But to know the real Jack Perish
ing of West Point one should talk
with men who we're at the academy
with him when he was a student
his classmates, his instructors.
talked with several of them, at
West Point and in Washington.
There is a building at Eighteenth
and f streets in Washington with
in which Is housed our country's
Insular bureau bureau estab-
lshed, incidentally, by Jack Perish
ing. But that, too, is another story.
The chief of that bureau today is
Brigadier General Charles c. Wal
cult, jr., son of Charles c. Wal
cult of Civil war fame and who rose
to be brevet major general at 70.
Brigadier General Walcutt was a
classmate of General Pershing at
West Point, and roomed with him
there for time, young men to-
gether.
The Pseudo Metaphor Story.
General Walcutt swung his swivel
chair outward from his desk. He
tilted back, the tips of his fingers
pressed together, his eyes half
closed, retrospectively. A moment
more and recollections of West
Point days of long ago-of the class
of '8o-came as with tide at food.
A rare treat it was to sit and listen.
II recall an incident" the general
told me, starting in the very middle
of things, which had to do with a
recitation one day in connection
with a book we had-'English Les
sons for English People We all
hated the book. John was called
upon to define pseudo metaphor
Called to define or recite at West
Point meant blackboard recitation.
Students went to a blackboard,
wrote on the board what they
wished, then recited or explained
the required subject, using a pointer
to follow such recitation or explana-
ton on the board.
Was "Cold Fess.",
"No one in our section" the gen.
eral continued, knew anything
about pseudo metaphor, 1eastways
Jack. But Jack was the victim, and
he stood up before US. 1t was a
cold fess,'" the general chuckled,
using the West Point slang for COM
plete failure.
"The instructor looked at Jack
and asked again: Now, Mr.. Per-
shing, what is pseudo metaphor?
II can see Jack yet.
There was no need for him to
say he didn't know 1t was obvi-
GUS. There he stood, perspiratlon
standing out in globules all over his
face. He reached for his handker-
chief-we carried them up our
sleeves, you know-secured it at
last and mopped his brow. Yes, it
was cold TESS.
Elected Class President.
"Our feeling for Jack was early
demonstrated, when, as Plebes, we
assembled to effect a class organ
ization. The man who stood at the
head of our class, Henry New
conner (Brig. Gen. Henry Clay New
conner, head of the army's engineer
ing department, with Offices at Sew
enth and B streets, Washington,
presided. Someone, probably New
conner, suggested Jacks name for
the presidency of our class. The
suggestion met with unanimous APP
prevail. Jack was elected without a
dissenting vote.
Il roomed with Jack part of our
time at West Point think when
we were in the second class.
II remember Jack used to have
considerable difficulty with French.
l called to see him on Saturday in
his room. There he was 'boning
French. Told me he was down in
his section.
Often after taps had sounded
and lights, according to regulations,