Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-07
By CoMMANDANT BUGNET.

Written exclusively for The star: and the
North American Newspaper Alliance.
ST was in the Sd at the Lycee de
Rodez when my educational horoscope
was drawn by my mathematical master
called AlmeraS, a man of amazingly
simple, precise and forcible logical
power.
"He said: You should send him to
the Polytechnique; that is the best
mind 1t was he who gave me my
objective.
Sixty years later, his features express
ing all the gratitude he felt for that
service, the marshall still liked to recall
this fortunate impulse winch gave dl-
rection to his youth and determined his
vocation.
However difficult the entrance exam
ination to the Ecole Polytechnlque,
success was possible, for each year saw
several admissions from the same
school. The goal was attainable; what
an encouragement
And his plan? Its place was taken by
q system of time tables, which the
professors helped the students to follow.
/ To profit by their advice 1t was only
necessary to work.
Perseverance Is Necessary.
AS to the method-'it was necessary
to persevere in ones efforts, which is
not difficult if, in studying. one seeks to
reduce everything to simplicity, to
clarity and to prune, without losing
ones head"
The choice of an aim had the effect
of a catalysing agent which fixed all
the good elements in suspension.
"Gifts!" the marshal would say.
sThere is no such thing. Intelligence?
Certainly one must have some. But,
beyond everything, will; a steady Will
which does not diSsipate Its strength.
There you have the whole thing
will power. AS soon as we VIII, we
understand, and we can, even with a
mediocre intelligence. He who bows all
his will toward one fixed goal, who
perseveres and keeps his mind taut, Is
sure to reach that goal.
Seize hold of an idea, establish IL
like polar star, walk with your eyes
steadfast upon it. One succeeds only
by logged and well directed work"
Devotion of Priests Impresses.
His father, suspended from duty
owing to the abolition Of the post OF
exchequer paymaSter, which he held In
the department Of Aveyron, had been
compelled to return to his own district
of Haute- Garonne and put his chill
ut was the first time that I had
entered a religious community. What
most struck me at POLICEMAN at the
outset was the devotion of the priests
who were our masters. They took real
trouble over us and made me specialize
in mathematics all by myself, to push
me on.
"It was a small seminary, where the
pupils were preparing for the priest
~
They were older than I, about IL years
Of age. I was II or IS, They were
much more advanced. They always
had their nose In a book. So to keep
pace with them I had to pull stiff
oar. That's what learned best there
to pull stiff oar!"
To such good purpose that after two
years in the fifth and sixth grades,
when his father had just been ap-
pointed collector of taxes at Saint
Etienne, he won the most brilliant sue
cesses under the Jesuits at the College
Standardized.
AS the final stage, the fathers sent
him to their college at Metz to prepare
for his competitive examination.
Always Visited Old School.
SIN 1869, when I came to Saint
Clement, remained six months
eWithout seeing the sun. I could not
yet used to It'll I came from the
aFyrenees. Later I got used to
It. But it was hard Still, had come
to work, and there they worked
hard. !" ="
s1Fde was to preserve the memory Of
this all his life, and never failed, on
each of his journeys to Metz after the
war to revisit his old school.
at was here that learned to work, "a
he declared on these occasions to the
young students who surrounded him,
as they listened respectfully to the great
Ssoldier whose voice had so much au-
1thority, and whose example had such
prestige in their eyes.
- $50 I carried away from your school
an admirable memento. Work, you, too.
THE greatest heights will be accessible
to you, but you must work to reach
them, work hard.
But at the time of taking his ex-