The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-08-21

of teaching by recent graduates. He then points
out that there is more permanepcy In the aca-
demic staff than is commonly supposed. OF the II
heads Of departments are permanent and are
detailed for periods of 4 years.
Secretary Baker says, in part, concerning
criticism No. 4
Nothing short of omniscience can analyze the
intricate, multiplied and scattered activities Of
the war department during the recent war at
home and in the field, give just weight to the
circumstances surrounding these activities and
appOrtion either the credit for success or the
blame for mistake as between the persons en-
gagged in those activities. The handful Of West
Point graduates, the larger handful of Regular
Army officers drawn from civil life reserve Off
GERS, officers of the National Guard, and the
vastly larger body Of officers hastily instructed in
officers training camps altogether comprised APP
proximately 2O5,0O0 men, of whom the West
Point graduates numbered 3,0S1. In the per-
Torrance Of their work these officers were aided
by an immense body of civans-captains of
industry masters of business; scientific, technical
commercial, Industrial and all other kinds Of ex
perts worked side by side. 1t is my settled con-
viction that the commercial and industrial or
ganization of America during the was
colossal success; but whether IT was or not, the
result was not an outcome of the system Of edu
cation at West Point. The thing was done by the
nation and all the varied processes by which our
citizens are trained contributed"
He explains why federal statutes and govern
ment regulations produce red-tape; he admits
that the system may be slow at times, but holds
that conservatiOns of public safety require that
these transactions be matters of record and that
the person responsible for a decision should make
the decision. His explanation of passing the buck
is that there is as to each question a proper
person to decide it; to ask the wrong person can
have but one or the other of two results, either
to be referred to the right person or get an I'M
authorized answer" He says the fighting was
not new but old. Then he says:
1.-THE comment seems to imply a belief on
President Eliot's part, that graduates of West
Point have not shown up well in the military
history Of the United States 1t is incredible that
he could really entertain this belief In every
war in which the United States has been engaged
since the academy was established, its graduates
have been conspicuous, alike for herOism and sue
cess. The following list is made up of names
which illustrate American history. They are
graduates of the Military academy, and they are
men whose memory teach our children to
revere:
"Indian wars: Custer, Crooke Wright Macken-
zIe. Cooke. A. s. Johnston, Jefferson Davis, Aber-
crombie, Casey, Mccall, Candy, Rains.
Mexican war: Swift Sherman Totten, Bragg,
r. Z. Lee. Mcclellan, Beaureg&Td, Euger, Reno
Grant, Jefferson Davis, Early.
Civil war: General officers in Union Amy 294 !;
in Confederate Army, ISL Grant, Sherman Sheri-
dan Schofield Buell., Burnside, Gilmore, Halleck,
Hancock Helntzeman, Hooker, Howard, Hum
phreys, Fitzpatrick, Lyon, Meade, Merritt Nc
Cellan, Mcdowell Ord, Pope Porter, Reynolds,
Rosecrans, Slocum, Thomas, Warren, Wright,
Beauregard, Bragg, Cooper, Hood, A. s. Johnston,
J. E. Johnston, r. E. Lee, Kirby Smith, Anderson,
Buckner, Early, EweIl, Hardee A. P. HILL d. H..
Hill, Holmes, Jackson, S. D. Lee, Longstreet,
Pemberton Polk, A. p. Stewart, Wheeler, F1tz
Lee, Lowell Pickett ]. e. B. Stuart, Van Dorm.
Spanish war Otis, King. Fitz Lee, Wheeler,
Bell, Pershing Lawton, Barry.
Explorers, builders of railroads, canals, light
houses ETC.; Swift Totten, Mcclellan, Poe, Alb
bolt, Warren. Humphreys, TalcOtt Comstock,
Bache, Wheeler Wright, Whistler, Sldell Porter,
Wilson, Greene, Du Pont Ludlow, Meigs, Griffin,
Holden, Black, Cocktails, Sibert, Gaillard, Casey,
Hodges.
Public life: Grant. Polk, Mcclellan, Hancock,
Porter, Buckner, Lee Longstreet, Du Pont Briggs
"World war: Pershing, March, Bliss Billiard,
Liggett, Cocktails, Summerall, Jervey. Scott,
Graves. Biddle, McAndrew, Black, Richardson,
Connor, ct al"