Show aC d vv M t t By Oy ELMO SCOTT WATSON the past few tew weeks at n II score icoro of ot places place In different parts of the United States lIe crul hundred husky ky young Americans bC between the n ages Is I's of ot seventeen n ant and two twenty have he been heen n 1 l taking the eJ examinations for tor admission t. t to th th i United States Military academy at West Vest Point They are ore the men who have hue received appointments s to fill tho the In the Corps of ot Cadets tip up to Its IOn maxi maximum JI mum morn authorized strength of 1374 these vacancies vacancies cies 1118 existing lIsting by reason of graduation resignations find and dismissals from the tile academy If Jr those who received these theRe appointments are successful In passing the rigorous mental and Ih physical entrance examination for examinations for there Is no place In the world where the demand for tor a 8 aBound sound Bound mind In tn a 8 sound hotly holy Is ts more Imperative Impera live tive than thon U It Ills Is In tn Uncle Sams Sam's school on the Hudson Hud son they Mn they will enter the academy durin during the first week Ok of ot next nelt July and begin that four tour years years' course of ot Intensive training which makes nn nod anil gentlemen but gentlemen but most of all MEN mN I here Where do these 1374 cadets come from Well they c come Clime mc from every Iry part of the United S States mil and from every stratum of American society I Nearly 1 half of or them are from tho the farms of tho the North 1 and the East Kast the ranches of or the West est the plantations of the South A up check on CHI the occupations of ot the tho parents of the cadets at lit West Point In tn recent years showed the following fol rol- lowing farmers and planters 1140 merchants merchant 1 71 1 In lawyers an omit and judges m physicians nil 07 57 army officers mechanics j er clergymen hankers bankers I Kj and one earls each for the following auctioneer author chief of police cook hatter Iceman Inventor justice of tho the pence penco pilot tl teamster I and warden of a prison From From different strata of society the ne newcomers to tot the he academy may be he when they get off ott tf the train ot at the little station nt fit West Vest Point next July but 24 hours later Inter the tho the theRon son Ron of the i r the theRon son Hon of ot the Iceman the tho son Ron of the tho judge and the tho son ROn of the officer are exactly on the thet fin same me plane They are all nil plebes and ns as such t lire placed d In th the I beast ast barracks to receive their preliminary training Rich nich and poor pour college col cal lege rge man and ami high school graduate they are nil all treated II alike ilkI They nit nil rise at nt five thirty thirty In to the morning Horning and go to t to tp bed nt lit nine thirty I In i the eve 4 fling ning So far a nR as equality Is concerned It Is ts democracy t racy ray to the tho nth degree I The Tho course of or In Instruction durin during the period of I two months before September classes begin Is designed to give the new arrival a sound Round erect body and tench teach hIm the that fundamental principles of military discipline and drill thrill Throughout this phase the cadet has tins little tittle or no time of his own In what might be termed his moments of ot leisure he Is required to learn the cleaning and care are of his hits rifle and equipment I Tile Tho great melting pot lot Is nt at work the egotistical egotistical and mill conceited are brought down the weak Ink InkI are strengthened the surly am and Indifferent are I taught to ohey obey and act quickly quickly quickly-a a democratic group of nt youths Is ready to Join the Corps of nt r If Cadets and start tart the school year jear The first phase Ihne 1 f is the over over the beast becomes Ils a II cadet t The corps Is organized Into a II regiment of 12 f companies In each of nf which m members of all nil four i e classes are arranged according to height In Kt cadet argot t. t the tho second battalion composed of ot the tits short men are re called the runts runts while the first and third battalions are termed Hankers as descriptive of their station on th the flanks at r parades and other functions 4 Cadet commissioned officers and ami sergeants are appointed from among the first classmen seniors sen lors fors The highest In rank performs the duty of ot R regimental commander and Is titled first fint captain captain cap cap- p tain subordinate grades 9 rail range down n through h battalion and company campers commanders to lieutenants lieuten ants lints who command platoons anti to sergeants The second class furnishes the corporals All AU r these appointments are based hurd on liD the cadets cadets' rata ratings rat rat- a ings In leadership military science academic t standing conduct and personal appearance t The Tile mass mass molding of these men Is carried to no DO extreme It ends with the military organizations organizations organ organ- and disciplinary drills In all other activities sties IUNI Individual character building self reliance reliance t L and Initiative are stressed A cadet t never Io loses s 's sj j sight eight of the great primary aim ahn of West Point Point Point- t f tho the development of personal l Integrity Academic sections are formed n never ner er more Lr than 10 usually 12 12 cadets to one Instructor tit A After the Instructor has hns discussed the lesson Ilson to 1 explain x any parts which hleb arc are not clear each cadet prepares a blackboard assignment and later recites recites re re- cites orally from the tha material on In his blackboard 1 livery Every cadet recites and Is graded each I Ia day dap Ills f assignment customarily Includes In original work e develops dp thorough understanding of a topic rather than the mere ability to memorize and the language of his oral N recitation must be precise pro pre else Ise and correct Thus he acquires that quality most 1 essential to his later career self reliance self At 1 West Point participation In tn athletics Is not the tha special pedal privilege of the swiftest and the strongest Every Kiery o ery fall tall and every t spring throughout through out th the entire four years jears each cadet Is enroll enrolled for some saDIe sport which he be attends twice a n neck I During the hour and fifteen tn minutes of or each Inch attendance attendance at at- he ht receives Instruction from competent coaches and after short preliminary training I plays on ou his company loy team Itam In competition with 5 other companies In this system stem of Intramural I athletics 1 s no cadet repeats a sport accordingly 1 in four tour years he tie becomes familiar with eight J different sports which after he graduates he will wilt employ for tor the physical training of enlisted men Inca In the orm army After the first class has graduated In lu June Jun the new lIew second class which class which has completed two i r A. A 1 t Ly 3 r. r r r k t t m t J fl k I IIa Ia x 1 l. l ila j ta f t 1 alt a f 1 Cadets Cadet receiving Instruction In aerodynamics ics airplane leI airplane design and construction 2 Chow time in the mess hall at West Point 3 Cadets Cadet building a pontoon bridge 4 4 Instruction In the ordnance machine shop on mechanical engineering subjects 5 6 Learning surveying by doing It 6 Cadets Cadell on an artillery hike untangling a horse that has overstepped his hll traces trace and become become become be be- come tangled up In his harness All Ml pictures courtesy United States Military Academy 4 years ar at the academy goes academy goes on n a furlough which lasts lasta until the tho resumption of or classes In September Septem Septem- ber Meanwhile the new first and third clas classes move mo Into tents In a summer r lup located on on n the edge ede of nf the parade ground and overlooking the beautiful Hudson Iou river And nd hero begins that phase of cadet life lire which West est Pointers always remember as os most Ideal Drill Prill and play are art In order with no studies to Inter Interrupt the latter Drill held only In the forenoon forenoon fore fore- noon signifies more than the there mere forming of ranks and execution of evolutions on the parade This drill means l learning how various weapons and arms studied theoretically during the n w win win- Inter Inter In In- ter behave e In practice out In the o open en and on the fond The cadet will spend his mornings In pursuits alwa always s 's varied always Interesting lie will learn Itam to adjust a 11 McClellan saddle on horses horst's of nf odd shapes and dispositions HP lie will swill do scouting trotting alone down a country lane he will ride through villages Hinges whose alleys 11 and rooftops hide bide Imaginary snipers Or he ht will control control con ron a u team of heel wheel horses behind him and on both sides will roll guns and caissons UP lip will willbe willbe be he a n cant can T r r helping In to the swift process S of nit Inti going Into action lie III will 1 lay miles of nf M ie i.e. across creeks under roads through underbrush go so that military units may feel and speak to each other Or Or perhaps In tn the quiet quIrt of nf a camouflaged observation ob ob- post he be will turn the hairs cross-hairs of a telescope an enemy target and by science will wilt compute the data necessary to tiring bring down artillery fire Then again he will te loe transported to an army flying hying field 1 where he will learn to follow maps mul's and s spot targets from a great alti alti- tude During the last week of A August the entire corps corp taken take the field la In a Ii grand irand final maneuver Under conditions approximating as nearly as possible pos pas sible BIble those of war cadets learn how various arms arm cO- cO ordinate coordinate In to battle they begin to under stand the difficulties of feeding and supplying large bodies of troops If It rains If their feet grow cold and wet net and blistered so much the better for they learn the limits of human endurance endur endur- a anCl ance nee and will know what demands can be made of men In war Although West Point has as Its primary object the training of young men to be officers In the United States army It gives an academic education dura tion ai as well Ill as the fundamentals of ot military training Its purpose which has been followed a since Its beginning was best expressed by George Washington when he lie advocated the military academy lie said that what we need Is a school from which we can nn get an educated officer Although discipline Is maintained In to the class classrooms classrooms classrooms rooms the academic training Is purely for the education of the cadet The course coarse of Instruction Instruction tion is planned so that a graduate will have what corresponds to n a bachelor of science degree I at the a average prage university I But mor more Important than the fund of ot technical technical cal and academic Information which the cadet has acquired during his four years jears tars at West Point Is another kind of If training which he has received re re- Soldierly qualities are built upon a foundation of or character and manliness The development of or that character Is ts accomplished through many different channels As his military salutary and academic education duration progresses his BUI social la I and cultural side Ide Is U not overlooked He Ile has a 1 regular course In gentlemanly co co- enact act and etiquette Ills His social activities are under Intelligent In supervision and his opportunities for contact with the and their families on the post are frequent After all he belongs belones to the only profession In tn the world where conduct unbecoming a gentleman Is 19 an offense triable by court martial So and gentleman I U is not cot Just an empty phrase It I. I Ig i an Rn I Ideal to be lived up to and at West Kest Point It Is a livable reality And to the crown character building process which this picked body of young Americans undergo undergo un un- dergo at th the academy Is the system there of ot placing responsibility upon the let from the day he arrives and teaching him to co r C pt responsibility re reo- In tn an Increasing measure sure throughout his four years As the cadets cadet's Instruction advances he be Is given more and more opportunities to show his hll capacIty capacity capac capac- ity for aC accepting responsibility He lie commands at drills and ceremonies Instructs cadets of the lower classes and assumes more and more the duties of ot an officer as the day of his graduation approaches As an officer he will be entrusted with the tile control of others so by the time he has spent four tour years ears at the academy he h. h has shown that he can control himself At West Point they make officers and gentlemen gentle gentle- men men tut but most of all all they make MEN I O C by br N Newspaper |