| Show CIVILIAN AND WEST POINT SOLDIERS I The Denver News notes that whether wheth-er intentional or not the officers named for promotions recently by the President Presi-dent arc not West Pointers It cites i I the case of Miles who was not a West I 1 Pointer neither Brooks nor Otis was a graduate ncltherwas MacArthur nor ChaRee We suspect that Is so but it must be remembered that Gen Allies was In every battle of the Army of the Potomac except one and he was kept from that by a grievous wound that he fought his way up from the ranks and received every appointment for galLantry gal-lantry on the field and for eminent services ser-vices on the recommendation of BOldlora who had graduated at West Point Brooks Otis MacArthur Chaf fee and Young have all performed magnificent mag-nificent service In tho last three yearn and should be rewarded and most of them too are ready or about ready to he retired The News contrasts the present with previous records It says the honors the Mexican war Were won by Gens Scott and Taylor neither of them a West Pointer hut they had under them such graduates from West Point as Grant Lee Sherman Joe Johnston Thomas Bragg Albert Sidney Johnston and l a host of others and as they died or retired the civilian soldiers who had remained In the regular service ser-vice rose in promotions In the Mexican wax Gen Taylor simply I S sim-ply stumbled along and the battles were won by the young ofllcers and the men There was no especial military skill manifested from the Rio Grande to Buena Vista It was simply a matter mat-ter of fighting Those boys did not be lice that all the Mexicans In the world could lick them and so when they ran against an enemy no matter whether it was equal or four or five to one they simply proceeded to clean them out It I was different from Vera Cruz to the capture of the Mexican capital but I there was In command u man who did not need any West Point In those days Gen Scott was as natural a soldier as I i Gustavug Adolphua or Frederick tho Great or Von Moltke Had he hern f commanding 1COCOO or 1500CO men that capture of Vera Crux and the marchIng j march-Ing and the Jflghting thence on to the City of tlc 6 tvotild have bean pjt > down In the books OK one of the moot f marvelous campaigns all history because be-cause when his orders arc read In the light of what followed they read like prophecies Jt 1M l true he was seconded by the men who made Immortal names a few years later < In point of fact that I war was but a preliminary J perform j mice GO to speak In preparation for the I I greater I war that was to succeed But i the nCd now orn thorough military I education Is vastly greater than it was I forty years ago The whole situation IB changed the whole handling of a war has changed Ffty years ago to fight I the armies had to come within close range The eco the commander could take Ju the I field It Is all changed now The guns hatarc used carry farther than the Lumen eye can aetv The powder pow-der usrfd gives no sign of the enemy Bayonet and cavalry charges have I about bccomo anlmpOsslbJIity The sol dlcr must know now not only what Is before him but wtiat IK doing for miles around him There arc other lessons too which ard necessary Sanitary ficlcnpc must be understood the swift ttaufiporfatlon of troops I with all the dclals which Includes feeding them must be known and the ndcd of H severely se-verely t technical education Is much more urgent now than ever before I Hud the Spanish war come on tin years ago West Pointers would have been the ones to be promoted but It hap I pejied 1 Just In the Interim when scores of great olllcors had Juot been retired for age and when those left In command com-mand had received their promotions by time limits Hence the West Pointers Point-ers were for a little wh superseded but the rule has always been to favor the graduates of that school and It will always be so It must be so until the Congress at The Hague shall begin to do effectual work and the time come when men shall learn war no more |
