The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1920-08-26

the World War has shown could be made upon
military men. lie 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, Of chemistry or of languages.
This does not justify the turning out Of soldiers,
or mining engineers, or chemists who know moth
ing else but 1t does justify 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 a glOriied drill
sergeant, but to lay a foundation upon which a
career of growth In military knowledge can 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 a set Of virtues admirable always hut
Indispensable in the soldier. Men may be inexact,
or even untruthful. In ordinary matters and suf-
fer as consequence only the disesteem 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 1t Is, therefore no
matter Of idle pride. but rather OF stern dis.
ciplinary necessity that makes West Point re-
Quire of her students character for trustworthl.
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 1902 Of Its
existence, 2,371 graduates Of West Point left the
army to go into civil life. The occupations Of
these graduates are shown I'm the following
table: President Of the United States /; presi-
dent of the Confederate States. 1; presidential
candidates. 3; vice-presidential candidates. 2:
members Of the cabinet Of the United States, 4;
ambassador, ministers Of the United States to
foreign countries. IA charge daffalres OF the
United States to foreign countries. 9; United
States consul generals and cOnsuls, ~; members
Of congress, "a; United States civil officers Of
various kinds, III; presidential electors, 8; gov
errors Of states and territories, IS; bishops 1;
lieutenant governors, 2; Judges IA; members of
state legislatures, II; presiding officers of state
senates and houses Of representatives, 8; men,
bers Of conventions for the formation of state
constitutions, 49, state officers Of various grades
81; adjutants. inspectors and quartermaster gen.
erals and chief engineers Of states AMI territories
%; officers of state militia 1888; mayors of cities
II; city officers, 81; presidents OF universities
colleges, etc.. 49, principals Of academies and
schools 80 regents and chancellors of educa tiona
institutions, IA; professors and teachers 1870.
superintendent OF coast survey, surveyors gen
eral Of states and territories, II chief engineers
of states, IA; presidents Of railroads and other
corporations 81; chief engineers of railroads ann
other public works, 63; superintendent OF rail.
roads and other public works. 90; rreasurers md
receivers of railroads and other corporations pa.
civil engineers. 22S; electrical engineers 8. ot.
torneys and cOunselors mt law, 200; superior
general of clerical order /; clergymep. %.
physicians IA; merchants, 100; manufacturers
IT: artists 3; architects, Z; farmers and planters
230 bankers, 1S; bank presidents 8; bank Off.
GERS, %; editors, 80; authors. 10.
"Not all Of the foregoing occupations are s,y.
nifcant Of intellectual supremacy or necessarily
superior training, but the list is one which couId
not have been made by college with an made
quate archaic system Of education. These men
have stepped out Of West Point into civil life
and qualified in large numbers for positions from
the very highest within the gift Of the people, in
all walks Of life; list quite too large and i'm
posing to represent the triumph OF talent over
obstruction"
Discussing criticism No. q, Secretary Baker
says that the special character Of the education
which West Point must give limits the field OF
selection Of Its teachers He defends the practice