Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-08-19

the World War has shown could be made upon
military men. He then says, in part:
"After all, West Point is a special school, as IS
the Naval academy at Annapolis, as IS any
school of mines, or of chemistry, or of languages
This does not justify the turning out OF soldiers
or mining engineers, or chemists, who know NORM
ing else but it does justify a course of instruction
which emphasizes the speciality, while 1t pro-
duces an educated man. The purpose of west
Point, therefore, is not to act as gor1hed drlll
sergeant, but to lay a foundation upon Which
career of growth in military knowledge can De
based and to accompany it with two indispensable
additions first, such general training as edu-
Gated men find necessary for intelligent inter-
course with one another, and second, the incul-
cation of q set of virtues admirable always, but
indispensable in the soldier Men may be inexact,
or even untruthful in ordinary matters and SUI
fer as a consequence only the dsesteem of their
associates, or the inconvenience of unfavorable
litigation; but the ineXact or untruthful soldier
trifes with the lives of his fellow men. and the
honor of his government, and it is, therefore no
matter of idle pride, but rather of stern dis
culinary necessity that makes West Point re-
nuire of her students a character for trustworth
ness which knows no evasions.
81 ought to point out that West Point Is but the
beginning of education in the army. In each of
the services there are continuation schools of
growing breadth and usefulness, and the plan
toward which army education is tending Will
more and more seek only the fundamentals both
of education and character, at West Point, and
look more and more to the special schools for
the technical, scientific completion.
"a test may be appealed to with confidence.
During the first hundred years (1SO2-19O2) of its
existence 2371 graduates of West Point left the
army TO go into civil life. The occupations of
these graduates are shown in the following
table. President of the United States, l; presi-
dent of the Confederate States, ! presidential
iJoYoti al
members of the cabinet Of the United States, 4;
onnhossador l ministers of the United States to
foreign countries, IA; charge dafaires OF the
United States to foreign countries, Z; Unlted
States consul generals and consuls Il; members
of congress- "a; United States civil officers of
vorious kinds III: presidential electors, s; gov
ernors of states and territories, 49, bishops l;
lieutenant governors . judges, IA; members of
state legislatures IT; presiding officers of state
senates and houses of representatives 8; men,
hers of conventions for the formation of state
constitutions, 10 state officers of various grades,
Il adiutants, inspectors and quartermaster gen
erals and chief engineers of states and territories
%. officers of state militia, 1913; mayors of cities,
II. CITY officers 81 presidents of universities,
COLLEGES ETC. 46; principals of academies and
schools 50; regents and chancellors of educational
institutions IA professors and teachers, 1876;
superintendent of coast survey, l; surveyors gem
'ernl of states and territories, IL chief engineers
M ii
cornorations. 81; chief engineers of railroads and
other public works, So; superintendent of rail-
roads and other public works, 90; treasurers and
receivers of railroads and other corporations "a
civil engineers, OBS; electrical engineers, 8; at
tornevs and counselors at law, 200; superior
general of clerical order, l; clergymen, 20;
musicians, IA; merchants, 100; manufacturers,
II. artists 3 architects, = farmers and planters,
$50 bankers, 1S; bank presidents, s; bank Off
cers o.. editors, 30; authors, ITO.
mot all of the foregoing occupations are sig
niacant Of intellectual supremacy or necessarily
suneror training, but the list is one which could
not have been made by college with an made
mate or archaic system Of education. These men
have stepped out of West Point into civil life
md qualified in large numbers for positions from
the very highest within the gift Of the people, in
nil walks of life; list quite too large and Inn
posing to represent the triumph of talent over
obstruction"
Discussing criticism No. 3, Secretary Baker
saws that the special character OF the education
which West Point must give limits the field OF
selection of Its teachers He defends the practice