Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-08-20

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, CHEMISTS who know moth
ing else; but it does justify 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 glori1ed drill
sergeant, but to lay foundation upon which
career of growth in military knowledge can be
based, and to accompany it with two indispensable
additions; first, such a general training edu-
Gated men find necessary for intelligent inter-
course with one another, and second, the fncul-
cation of a set of virtues admirable always but
indispensable in the soldier. Men may be inexact
or untruthfu, in ordinary matters, and suf-
fer as consequence only the disesteem of their
associates, the incOnveniepces 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
quire of her students character for trustworthi-
ness which knows evasioRs.
81 ought 10 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
look more and to the special schools for
the technical, scientific completion.
"a test may be appealed to with confidence.
During the first hundred years (18O219O2) of it's
existence 1911 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 1 presi-
dent of the Confederate States, 1 presidential
candidates. g.; vice-presidential candidates, 2;
members of the cabinet of the United States, 4
ambassador / ministers of the United States to
foreign countries, IA; charge daffaires of the
United States to foreign countries 2; United
States consul generals and consuls, II; members
of congress, "a; United States civil officers of
various kinds III presidential electors 8 gov
errors of states and territories 16; bishops /
lieutenant governors, 2; judges, n; members Of
state legislatures II; presiding officers Of state
senates and houses of representatives, 8 mem
bers of conventions for the formation of state
constitutions 10; state officers of various grades,
81 adjutants inspectors and quartermaster gen.
erals and chief engineers Of states and territories
%: officers of state militia, 1885, mayors of Cities
II; city officers, 81; presidents of universities,
colleges ETC., 46; principals of academies and
schools 80; regents and chancelors of educational
institutions, IA; professors and teachers 1856;
silperintendent of coast survey / surveyors gen.
eraI of states and territories II; chief engineers
of states IA; presidents of railroads and other
corporations ST chief engineers of railroads and
other public works, %; superintendent of rail-
roads and other public works. 81; treasurers and
receivers Of railroads and other corporations "a
civil engineers 228; electrical engineers, s. at
torneys and counselors at law, 200; superior
general of clerical order, L; cIergymen, 20;
physicians IA; merchants, 122; manufacturers,
II: artists 8; architects, q farmers and planters,
$50: bankers, 49, bank presidents, 8: bank off,
GERS. %; editors 30; authors. TO.
"Not all of the foregoing occupations are sig
nifcant Of intellectual supremacy or necessarily
superior training, but the list is one which could
NOT have been made by college with an made
ouate or archaic system Of education These men
have stepped out Of West Point Into civil life
and qualified in large numbers for positions from
tbe very highest within the gift of the people, In
ali walks of life; a list quite too large and Inn
posing to represent the triumph Of talent over
obstruction"
Discussing criticism No. 8, Secretary Baker
saws that the special character Of the education
which West Point must give limits the field OF
selection of it's teachers. He defends the practice