The rustler. (Cerrillos, N.M.) 1891-1???, 1891-10-23

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hmt.rT An@a<mr submia. = s<ssrs ~
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WAaHTnornI Oct ia-The SECRETARY
81 war has rsceivcd the rspurt Of the
-isitou 10 The military academy At
West Point through Maj John carzon
Of this city. q member Of the board and
Ia SECRETARY. BY whom n was prepared
IL IA elaborate and comprehensive. cow-
ering upwards Of 100 printed pages and
treating the subjecha discussed In =
novel and striking manner
The hrst question considered By the
board was whether thu strength o. the
corps Of cadets a. now established
should be increased The board agreed
10 recommend the passage Of an act
hxing the strength Of the corps II .
maximum of t0a The board recon-
mends that 10 addition 20 the present
allotment of one cadet 20 each repre-
sentative and delegate In congress. two
cadets be allowed beach state At large
10 be nominated By the senators re-
spectively. and that the president be
authorized 10 nominate from the
country at large twenty. The board
calls attention 10 the ineficiency Of the
present preliminary examinations ~
shown by the failure to graduate Of
more than DO per cent of the cadets adj
mitted As showing the merit Of the
competitive system of selecting candi-
dates for appointment the board pre-
sents tables TO show that under the
competitive system 90 per cent gradn-
ated and 40 per cent failed 10 graduate.
while Of those appointed direct only ~
per cent graduated and IS per cent
failed.
The board strongly condemns the
practice of filling the p~rofessorships ut
the academy entirely Of army officers.
They might IL Is said, hold such places
rs have intimate relation with the
science of war;, not otherwise. The
deficiency in English Is said to be pain
fully apparent In the academy and Il Is
urgently recommended hat more at
tention be given 10 the subject In this
connection the board also says very
pointedly: None Of the instructors in
the department OF modern languages
has n speaking knowledge of either
French Dr. Spanish, the two modern
languages taught Mt the academy. The
ability TO speak these languages does
not seem 10 be regarded as essentially
instruction mt West Point"
The board says: "While the corps of
cadets is thoroughly instructed in all
field movements, certain details are
omitted from the scheme of military in
struction 10 which we respectfully di-
rect the attention Of the proper au-
thorltieS In the school of the soldier,
mounted, the cadet receives no instruc-
ton In the care of horses. lie never
sees 4 horse groomed and knows moth
ing about saddling and bridling, unless
he obtained such information before
entering the academy. II seems TO the
board hat instruction on these points
Is essential"
Again the board directs attention 10
the utter lack of proper arms and
equipment for field exercises and par.
ticularly TO the need for modern ord
nance. Having in view the failures OF
former appeals, the board says: "Un-
ill the government a supply the
academy with modern guns to take the
place Of the antiquities now in position
In the ~seacoast and siege batteries, we
recommend that these two worse than
useless batteries be d~ismantled, and
that wooden guns, fashioned after the
latest approved models and furnished
with modern carriages and cranes,
be mounted In their stead. Such a
course would not avert the ridicule
to which the United States Is now just
ly subjected by maintaining obsolete
armament In these two batteries for
the instruction of future officers of its
army, but 1t would furnish evidence
that military men are coznizant OF
the fact progress has been made In the
fabrication of great guns, and that they
fully appreciate the Importance and
value of the improvements. In add.
ton to this wooden models of modern
fashion would at least give the cadets
an idea OF the kind of guns likely TO be
used In warfare and of the methods en-
ployed In serving them"
The members OF the board are Sem
ators Henderson and Pugh; Repre-
sentatives Burrows, of Michigan;
scranton, of Pennsylvania, and Ian
lam, of Texas. in addition TO the fol.
owing appointed by the president;
Rev. Frank A. O'Brien, Kalamazoo,
Mich; Col. ]. T. Murfee, Marion. Ala
Hon. James A. Waymiere, San Fran.
cisco; Maj John NJ. Carson, Washing
ton; Mr.. David w. Payne, Elmira, N.
Y; Gen I. S. Peck, Burlington, VT.
and Hon. Robert o. Fuller, CANT bridge,
Mass.