Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-07-04
Gu ard Mount

have to shine their shoes and make their own
beds
Such program Of work and such stricl dis
cipline as to conduct soon proves whether or mol
the cadet has 'real stuff In him II he ivsni II
his scholarship falls below par. and II. as pre-
yiousy stated lie doesn't keep tie. rules. nni he
goes Neither birth family. influence nor wellth
count at West Point.
or course, to the average American youth. II
would seem easy 10 heat he game and - cover
up his rule. breaking. 50 That he would mol suffer
the penalty for It. Rur nj West i'an sheatins
the game Is not popular Sport and here Is
where fhe AL Right" comes In.
Suppose for instance. that the cadet leaves mis-
room, the barracks or the post and la doing so tie
meets a .tac' Ga tactical oticer) If the the"
inquiries. all rght?" and the cadet replies "a
right" Il most decidedly IS all right tint is TO
say these two words are complete explanation
of his action that MS leaving MS room. the har
racks or the post is not nm infraeton OF the rules
For say the rules. IAN all right. involves the pur
pose Of visit 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 d cadeI
Is asked all right2 his answer should refer to the
time that the question asked and not 10 the
moment that the answer was given" So sou see
Il caHef S acIuH NnlfH Is MOI Hi TlHHf one minute
NAV apparently be n right the next minute. hui
he can not take advantage Of the apparent com
plianee with the rules within that short space
Of time for the code of 4onor Of West Ioin says
mo half-truths.'
Another Of the guiding principles Of the cadet.
ma set forth in the '.Ilehes Bible is this. "Qnib
bling. evasive statements technieaIities In or.
der to shield guilt o.. defeaf the ends of justice
will not he tolerated. The code o. the soldier de
mands courageous and fearless nanestg In setting
forth the truth, regardless of consequences" So
when the cadet answers "aIl right' 1t means just
exactly that and not whit less IF the thing he
Is doing when thn inquiry Is made Is nor all right
then he says nothing and accepts the dement,
which he has earned For .ca,lets do NOT make
excuses Explanations citing extenuntins crcum.
stances adequate reasons for failure In rhe
performance of duty may he submitted" But
"Onenders Of the code of honor are never granted
immunity
And those rules and this code OF honor apply
to all-from the lowest plebe to the most out
standing member of the first class There s n
rather widespread popular belief that in most of
our educational institutions athletic stars can
get by with anything But TINT distinctly is mot
true III West Point ~Take the case of Cadet eagle
RED" eagle, rs you probably have heard of
him. the outstanding hackiield STAR of the foot
ball team and next yea<s captain. Last winter
eagle obtained n leave of absence which he spenf
in New York city When he returned 10 the mead
envy he was Iate through especial fault Of his
hy very short time. But was this breach OF
rules overlooked In the case Of this great foot
ball star? II most emphatically> was not For the
next month "Red" eagle was doing % hours OF
punishment tour" % extra hours marching al
attention on the campus. IF you will march for an
hour M attention you wiki soon appreciate that
% hours in n month. or nearly hour dry
extra is no Joke and least Of all would II seen
so If YOU were doing II for what might seem to be
very unmportanf reason Think back over the
number of times you have been late TO nm mp
pointlnent and offered as an excuse for your tardi
ness nm airy "Snrrv old fellow and then SEE
how vou would feel II you had TO pay for II the
way "Red' eagle did for his tardiness.
: But remember that discipline at the military
academy comes ahead of anything else Fou
years of such discipline. Of such practice. In self
restraint by the young men who are enrolled
there, by their training In scrupulous regard fo
duty, by their doing the right thing because I
is the right thing according to the code of hono
cannot but result In making men Of high physica
and mental standard.
Those four years have brought knowledge
and phvsiaue that couldn't very we'll be obtuines
any ether place: have given that insight into mel
that few colleges give, have formed and molde,
Il character that neither knows nor shields Grim
or deceit have breathed into 1t hat spirit of TIL
corps exemplined by It's motto. "puty, Honor
Country" And that is why the term "otfice
md gentleman" when applied to West Pointer
means exactly that