Sometimes--all this effort to make a man a soldier who does not possess the necessary elements, is attempted through the "Plattsburg system" of intensive training with the same result-- Again it may be tried through numerous service schools--the General Staff--the War College course, etc. But--eventually and inevitably without some one or all of these basic elements to build on--to unfold, develop and train whatever of the military spirit that there is in him, it will become necessary, sooner or later to eliminate him from the game--i. e., to "Can" him. The writer has scarcely ever seen it fail-- And when there has been any exception to the rule through political pull or favoritism--and this incompetent, would-be professional soldier is retained, disaster has been written all over the pages of his unfortunate military career. All of our wars--the Civil War--Spanish-American--and now our great World War have clearly demonstrated this. It is pitiful therefore to see men struggling along in uniform--absolutely incapable of acquiring battle instinct or battle sense (simply because they cannot be taught) and the requisites for a rough and tumble soldier in the field, capable of commanding men under all circumstances of the emergencies and crises continually arising to test out a man's military resources--and his ready adaptation to the problems before him, etc.--because of the lack of just those elements that go to make up the ever ready soldier. The education of such men along military--but, more especially along the line of battle problems is an offense to the nostrils and a clear violation of common sense, besides giving most battle-service soldiers an indescribable weariness. Courage Alone Not Effective