The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-12-09

q
IL this letter was written. hot
fight was on in Congress over thei
promotion Of Lenoard Wood to tnel
fsbk 81 major general. Wood, whcl
Jgas President RooSevelt's superior
officer in the cuban campaign, wasi
vigorously assailed by his enemies
nd the preference shown him Dyi
the Administration was condemned.
Amy red tape had been ripped mtoi
shreds. The president conf1des ID !
!4Ied, destined to serve brilliantly as
IA officer when the time came his
opinion Of some Of the old-timers IN
s'tRe army.-The Editor.
Merits Of Military and Civil LIE.
White House, Jan. Il, 1904.
DEAR TED: $500. -.
This will be long distance let
.ter. / sent to you the examination
rapers for west Point and Annapolis
.IgiIaye thought great deal over tue
4 matter, and discussed !: az srea'
ienrth With mother. feel on me
dne hand that l ought TO give you
INV best advice, and yet on the other
band /, do not wish 10 seem 10 con
strain YOU against your wishes. q
YOU have definitely made up YOU
mind that you have IN oyermasteFms
desire 10 be in the navy or the army
and that such a career is the one IN
which you will take really heart
Fat interest-far more so than any
1ther-and that your greatest chance
[or happiness and usefulness WIN ne
in doing this one work 10 "hlcH you !
feel yourself especially drawE-wny,fs
SInder such circumstances have Dut
ilttle to say. But l am not satlstieo
tllat this is really sour feeling II
seemed more as If you did not leei
drawn inSany other direction, ana
lwondered what you we're going to 10
IA life or what kind of work you
would turn your hand to- and Won
dered il YOU could make success or
Not: and that you are therefore m
scIined to turn to tho navy or army
,chiefly because you would then nave.
i5afinite and settled career in me-
and could hope to go on steaauN
without any great risk OF 1all SaI
NOW, II such is your thought sasll
nuote to you what Captain Mansn
isaid Of his son when asked why ne
idid not send him to. West POINT OF
.iAnapolis "Ithave too much confidence
a him ia make me feel that 1t IS
desirable for him to enter el1neF'
branch Of the service" i
/ have great confidence, IN you, .,d
believe you have the ability anu
saboye all the energy the persever-
Ssnca and the common sense, to WIN
INIT In civil life. That you Will nave
:some hard times and some disco9r-
g rlng times / have no question; Out
'fhis is merely another way OF say
1 ;ins that you will share the comm p2Il
sIot. Though you will have 70 "oth
4 IA different ways from those IN
,which,l worked, you will not have 70
work any harder, nor to face periods
sSf more discouragment. l trust IN
Sour ability, and especially your
Character, and am confident you Will
win. .o,,,, +bo
chance for a, man to show great au'ls
Jty and rise above his fellows does
nj nccuf on the average more than
nnca In a generation. WheI | was
tow, at Santiago 1t was melancholy
For me- TO see how fossized aud lack
inr IN ambition, and generally useless
lRere most Of the men OF my ase "I ~
over, who had served their ives IN
Ffhe army. The navy for the Mss
lew wears has been better, but for
twenty years after the Civil war
ithare was less chance in the navy
than in the army to practise and 49,
wort, dor real consequence. l nave
Setnally known lieutenants in ooth
the army and the navy VINO we're
y Rrandf fathers men who had seen
/ Eheir caildren married before they
themselves attained the grade Of cap
I'm OF course the chance may
Come at any time when the mts OF
rTest Point or Annapolis who will have
stayed in the Amy or navy finds q
real opportunity to rise high: Under
such circumstances, think the nSn
Sc such training who has actually
tlaft the army or the navy has even
more chance Of rising than the man
NO has remained in 1t. Moreover
eften a man can do as l did in the
spanish War, even though not west
Pointer. ,o.4,on
THIS last point raises the question
bout you going to West Point on An
aapolis and leaving the army OF navy .i0S
-Four years q think that is the NUM-
tberl after graduation from the acad-
semS. Under this plan you would have
an excellent education and ground
ing IN discipline and, in some ways
q testing Of your capacity greater
man / think you can get in any or
iinary college. On the other hand
except for the profession of an en-
ineer, you would have had nothing
ike special training, and you would