The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-08-20

the World War has shown could be made upon
military men. He then says, in part:
After all. West Point is special school, as is
the Naval academy at Annapolis. is any
school Of mines, Of chemistry, of languages.
This does not justify the turning out of soldiers,
or mining engineers, or chemists who know roth
ing else but it does justify course of instruction
which emphasizes the speciality while it pro-
duces an educated The purpose of West
Point therefore, is not to act a glorifed drill
sergeant, but to lay foundation upon which
career Of growth in military knowledge be
based, and to accompany 1t with two indispensable
additions; first, such general training edu-
Gated men find necessary for intelligent inter
course with one another, and second the incul-
cation of set of virtues admirable always but
Indispensable in the soldier Men may be inexact
or even untruthful. in ordinary matters, and suf-
fer as consequence only the dfseSteem of their
associates, the inconveniences of unfavorable
litigation; but the inexact or untruthful soldier
trifies 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
cipnary necessity that makes West Point re-
quire of her students character for trustworthi-
ness which knows evasons.
"I ought to point out that West Point is but the
beginning of education in the army In each of
the services there 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
the technical scientific completion.
"a test may be appealed to with confidence
During the first hundred years (1S02-19O2) of its
existence 2,371 graduates of West Point left the
army to go into civil life. The occupations of
these graduates shown in the following
table, President of the United States +; presi-
dent of the Confederate States. 1; presidential
candidates. 3 vice-presdential candidates, 2;
members of the cabinet of the United States a;
ambassador. 1 ministers of the United States to
ptrin doffo fofr CF
United States to foreign countries 2; United
States consul generals and consuls, 12 members
of congress, "a United States civil officers of
various kinds, Ill; presidential electors 8: gov
ernors of states and territories 16; bishops l;
lieutenant governors, 2; judges. ii members of
state legislatures II presiding officers of state
senates and houses of representatives, 8: mem
bers of conventions i'm the formation of state
constitutions, 13; state officers of various grades
81; adjutants inspectors aud quartermaster gen
erals and chief engineers Of states territories
%; Officers of state militia 1853 mayors of cities
IT; city officers. 81; presidents of universities
colleges, etc. 40; principals of academies and
schools 32 regents and chancellors of educational
institutions, IA; professors and teachers 13e
superintendent of coast survey. 1 surveyors gen
eral of states and territories II chief engineers
of states Ii presidents of railroads and other
corporations, 81 chief engineers of railroads and
other public works. SO superintendent of rail
roads and other public works, 50; treasurers md
receivers of railroads and other corporations d
civil engineers 22S; electrical engineers s. at
torneys and counselors at law, 200; superior
general of clerical order, L; clergymen o0.
physicians, Ia; merchants. 122; manufacturers
IT; artists 8; architects 7: farmers and planters
$50; bankers, 1s; bank presidents. 8; bank off,
GERS %: editors. 80; authors 179.
mot all of the foregoing occupations are si,
nifcant Of intellectual supremacy or necessarily
superior training, but the list is one which corla
not have been made by college with an inae.
quate archaic system of education These men
have stepped out of West Point Into civil l,fa
and qualified In large numbers for positions from
the very highest within the gift of the people in
ali walks of life; list quite too large and i'm
posing to represent the triumph of talent over
obstruction"
Discussing criticism No. 8, Secretary Baker
says that the special character of the education
which West Point must give limits the field NJ
selection of its teachers. He defends the practice