The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1929-07-04
ard Mount

have to shine their shoes and make their own
BEDS
Such program of work and such strict dis
cipline as to conduct soon proves whether not
the cadet has real stuff in him. If he hasn't if
his scholarship falls below par. and if, pre-
viousy stated, he doesn't keep the rules out he
goes Neither birth, family. influence nor wealth
count at West Point.
OF course, to the average American youth, ii
would seem easy to beat the game and 70 cover
up his rue-breakng. so that he would not suffer
the penalty for it. But at West Point beating
the game" is not a popular sport and here is
where the AL Right comes in
Suppose for instance that the cadet leaves his
room, the barracks or the post, and in doing so he
meets "tac" ca tactical oflicerl. If the "tae"
inquiries. tall righ?' and the cadet replies "a
rghtl' it most decidedly is all right that is to
say, these two words complete explanation
of his action that mis- leaving his ROOM the bar
racks, the post is not an infracton of the rules
For say the rules, ian all right, involves the pur
pose of visit, as well as the place No cadet may
report all right when he is going anywhere for an
unauthorized purpose And here is another and
even finer Interpretation of the rule. IF cadet
is asked all right his answer should refer to the
time that the question was asked and not TO the
moment that the answer was given" So you see
a cadets action which is not all right one minute
may apparently be all right the next minute. but
he can not take advantage of the apparent com
pliance with the rules within that short space
Of time, for the code of honor of West Point says
mo halftruths,"
Another of the guiding principles of the cadet,
as set forth in the "Pebes Bible is this: 'Quib
bling evasive statements, technicaities in or
der to shield guilt o, defeat the ends of justice
will not be tolerated. The code Of the soldier de
mands courageous and fearless honesty in setting
forth the truth, regardless of consequences" SO
when the cadet answers "all right" it means just
exactly that and not whit less If the thing he
is doing when that inquiry is made is not all right
then he says nothing and accepts the dement,
which he has earned. For "cadets do not make
excuses Explanations citing extenuating circum-
stances or adequate reasons for failure In the
performance of duty may be submitted" But
"Ofenders of the code of honor never granted
immunity"
And those rules and this code of honor apply
to sall-from the lowliest plebe to the most out
standing member Of the first class There is
rather widespread popular belief that in most of
our educational institutions athletic stars can
get by with anything But that distinctly is not
true at West Point Take the case of Cadet eagle
-"Red" eagle, as you probably have heard of
him, the outstanding backfed star of the foot
ball team and next years captain. Last winter
eagle obtained leave of absence which he spent
in New York city. When he returned to the acad
envy he was late, through no especial fault of his,
by very short time But was this breach of
rules overlooked in the case of this great foot
bali star? 1t most emphaticaly was not For the
next month "Red" eagle was doing % hours of
punishment tour" % extra hours marching at
attention on the campus If you will march for an
hour at attention you will soon appreciate that
% hours in month"; nearly an hour day
extra, is no joke and least Of all would it seem
so if you doing it for what might seem to be
very unimportant reason. Think back over the
number of times you have been late to an ap
pointment and offered as an excuse for your tard
ness an airy "Sorry, old feowl" and then see
how you would feel if you had to pay for it the
way "Red" eagle did for his hardness
But remember that discipline at the military
academy comes ahead of anything else. -Four
restraint by the young men who are enrolled
there. by their training in scrupulous regard for
duty, by their doing the right thing because it
is the right thing, according to the code of honor
cannot but result in making men of high physical
and mental standard.
Those four years have brought a knowledge
and physique that couldn't very we'll be obtained
any other place; have given that insight into men
that few colleges give have formed and nodded
character that neither knows nor shields crime
or deceit have breathed into it that spirit of the
corps exemplifed by its motto: "Duty, Honor
Country" And that is why the term "oficer
and gentleman" when applied to West Pointer.
means exactly that!