The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-10-09

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, 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 specially while it pro-
duces educated The purpose of West
Point. therefore, Is not to act as glorified drill
sergeant but to lay foundation upon which
career of growth in military knowledge be
based, and to accompany it with two indispensable
additions: first. such a general training as 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
even untruthful, In ordinary matters, and suf-
fer a consequence only the disesteem Of their
associates or the Inconvenience Of unfavorabe
litigation; but the nexact untruthful soldier
tri1es 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
quire of her students character for trustworthi-
ness which knows no evasons
u ought to point 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 CSO2-19O2) Of its
existence 1911 graduates of West Point left the
army to go into civil life. The occupations of
these graduates shown in the following
table: President IF the United States, 1; presi-
dent of the Confederate States, /; presidential
candidates, 3; vcepresidential candidates, 2;
members Of the cabinet of the United States, 4;
ambassador ministers of the United States to
foreign countries, IA; charge d'affaires 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 g.; gov
errors of states and territories 16; bishops, L
lieutenant governors ?; judges, a. members Of
state legislatures II; presiding officers of state
senptes and houses of representatives, s; 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, 15S mayors Of cities
II: city officers, 81; presidents of universities,
colleges, etc, As; principals of academies and
schools 3D. regents and chancellors of educational
Institutions IA: professors and teachers 1876;
superintendent of coast survey, surveyors gen.
era of states and territories, II chief engineers
Of states n; presidents of railroads and other
corporations, 81 chief engineers of railroads and
other public works So; superintendent of rail-
roads and other public works, CO; treasurers and
receivers of railroads and other corporations "a;
civil engineers. 22S; electrical engineers 5; at
torneys and counseors at law, 200; superior
general of clerical order. L; clergymen, 20;
physicians. IA; merchants. 100; manufacturers,
II; artists 8; architects Z; farmers and planters,
$50: bankers 49,; bank presidents g. bank Off
GERS %: editors, 30; authors, ITO.
"Not all OF the foregoing occupations are sig
nifcant of intellectual supremacy 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
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. 5. Secretary Baker
saws that the special character Of the education
which West Point mus give limits the field Of
selection of Its teachers He defends the practice