The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-12
CHANGES AT WEST POINT
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
BOARD OF VISITORS.

A Suggestion That the Number of Ca
dets Be Increased TO 469-An Trnme-
date Change in the Method of Sc
lecting Cadets Declared Necessary.
A Claim Of Incompetency Among
the Professors.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 1.-THE Secretary
Of War has received the report Of the board
of visitors to the military academy of
West Point, through Maj. John NJ. Carson
OF this city, member of the board and its
secretary. by whom the document was pre-
pared. The first question considered by
the board was whether or not the strength
OF the q, corps of cadets as now
established should be increased. The
board recommends the passage of
an act fixing the strength Of
the corps of cadets at a maximum of 469
In the selection of candidates for admission
to the academy, the board recommends
that in addition to the present allotment of
one cadet to each representative and dele
gate in congress-, two cadets be allotted to
each state at large, TO be nominated by the
senator's respectively, and that the Presi-
dent be authorized TO nominate for the
country at large.
SELECTION OF CANDIDATES.
An immediate change is found to be
necessary in the method Of the selection of
Candidates and preliminary examination.
1t is held that the members OF congress
| should be required, at the proper time, to
! nominate candidates to fill vacancies atthe
academy and failing to do this, appoint
ments should be promptly made by the
President from thelist of eligible candidate
filed at the war departmenr. In this
relation attention is called to the fact
that members are allowed to desig-
nate cadets only by courtesy of
the President and not as e right under the
statutes. Toe boards makes the following
suggestion: "That notification be given the
members of congress chat hereafter nomi-
| nations for appointment 10 the military
academy must be made for vacancies that
are to occur the year next following on or
before Jan. l, and that in all cases when
nominations are not SO made the President
will exercise his authority TO appoint.
ADVANCE APPOINTMENTS.
The annual examinations take place in
| June. The law requires that cadets shall
! be appointed one year in advance Of the
time Of their admission to the academy"
except in cases where the vacancy is the re-
suit Of casualty other than graduation.
Public notice could be given through the
newspapers OF prospective vacancies, and
young men residing in districts in which
vacancies are to occur, possessing the pre-
scribed qualifications, invited to for
ward to the war depart
ment applications and recommendations
In this way the President should be enabled
TO select young men for appointment in
| every district in which the representative
! was derelict. The fact that the President
proposed TO exercise his authority in the
| premises would in itself be sufficient to COR
rect the abuse complala ed off,
INsUFFIoIENCY OF THE EXAMINATIONS.
The board calls attention to the insuffic-
iency of the present preliminary examina-
tions as shown by the fnilure to graduate Of
more tkan so per cent of the cadets
admitted. Therefore they suggest that rep.
resentatives be required to nominate candi-
dates not later than Jan. l. IL they fail to
do so the President is to designate young
men for all the districts delinquent on that
date. Examinations will be held at con-
venlent points designated by the Secretary
of War not later than March 10. The
examinations will be conducted in the same
manner as the examinations are now con-
Quoted at the military academy and under
the direction of the academic board. The
examination questions are to beprepared by
the academic board, each set inclosop and
sealed, and sent to The adjutant general
for transmission to the officers appointed 10
conduct the examination. = No person Who
has failed to pass shall be again nominated
for examination during the year for which
| such person failed.
As showing the merit Of the competitive
system of selecting candidates for appoint
ment'the board presents table to show that
under the competitive system go per cent.
| graduated and 40 per cent failed to gradu-
! ate, while of those appointed direct only ~
per cent. graduated and IS per cent. failed.
INCOMPETENT PROFESSORS. t
| The board strongly condemns the prac-
| tlce of filling professorships at the academy
entirely with army officers They might,
it is said, properly hold such places as have
| intimate relation with the science of war,
but not otherwise. Attention Is called to
the fact that the present professor of
modern languages, Col. Andrews. is about
to retire, and the board says that there are
many military applicants for the place, few
of whom, however, able as soldiers, possess
qualifications for the place. Deficiency Ia
English is said to be painfully apparent at
the academy, and 1t Is urgently recon-
mended that moro attention be given to
the subject. The board also says, very
pointedly: None of the instructors in the
department Of modern languages have a
speaking knowledge OF either French or
Spanish, the two modern languages taught
at the academy. Ability to speak
these languages does not seem to be re-
garded as essential In an instructor at West
| Point.n
Through Secretary Carson, the board ad-
dressed letters TO a number of eminent
educators to learn their views upon the
general question involved, and the responses
were unanimously in faver of the appoint
ment Of civilian professors for the depart
ments Of modern languages, drawing and