Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-14
COURSE III ANNAPOLIS.
Suggestions 10 Extend il by Including The II,
Years New Given 10 SEA Services.

WASHINGTON, June l3.-The plan of
Tightening the course Of Instruction at the
Naval Academy to six years has often been
discussed, so that the Recommendation of
the present board of visitors that it shall
be put into operation will not come a. a
surprise.
The present system of four years at An
napolis. followed by two of cruising in
some vessel of the navy, no doubt has Ger
tain advantages. 1t gives length of acad-
emic instruction equal to that which is
found at West Point and in col
leges. The two additional years
preceding final graduation with COM
mission in the regular grades of the ser
vice, may perhaps be compared to the edu-
cation of professional schools in civil life
prior to beginning on ones special occupa-
ton. But just at this point comes the sug-
gestion that these two extra years should
be passed in the academy itself. Perhaps
the nearest analogy to the question thus
raised is to be found in that of the relative
advantages of the law or medical school
and the lawyers or doctors office as prep
aration for the legal or medical profession,
although obviously this is only very I'M
perfect analogy, since from the very first
the cadet at the academy is educated with q
special view to his future career. Besides,
there are some special reasons why the
long course at the academy is advocated.
1t is believed that by conducting the
entire six years course at the academy. and
in practice vessels connected with it, the
studies of the last two years will be prose-
cuted with more continuity and with more
advantages of experienced supervision and
of appliances for education than is now
possible. 1t lis not proposed, apparently, to
increase greatly the amount of book educa-
ton, but rather to spread the present course
of four years over the entire six, and to
give much longer practice cruises under
professional instruction. One part of the
proposed plan, as set forth by the board of
visitors, is to reduce the age of admission
on the average, fixing it at from Is to Is
years instead of from 10 to 20. This, it is
believed, would permit lower standard of
admission in attainments of book learning by
pursuing some studies during the first year
that are now required for entrance. The
standard of graduation would not be de-
creased ard it is expected would be higher;
but previous board of visitors reported
that less than 40 per cent. of those who en-
ter succeed in graduating, and it concluded
that there was want of adjustment be-
tween the beginning and the end of the
course. .-a
One reason for the large percentage of
failures to complete the course has been
found in the custom of appointments that
has prevailed, and it is believed that the
system of appointing one year in advance
of entrance for all vacancies that permit
can be relied upon to produce an improve
ment in this respect. But the reduction in
the average age of entrance, fixing the max
imum at IS, which would be possible with
siv years course passed at the academy,
would justify requiring less of candidates
for entrance, so that, with the devotion of
more time to the present curriculum of
studies, the result in the percentage of sue.
cessful graduations might be better.
A criticism upon the new proposal is that
it would probably yield less sea service.
This, however, could be largely obviated
by having the summer practice cruise be-
gin about the end of the third week of May
and continue until about the end of the
first week in October. One suggestion has
been that four of the six classes should
take the entire time thus set apart for cruis-
ing, which would give four and a half
months during four of the six years. The
other two classes would have leave of alb
sence for rather more than half of this
summer period, after practical work at the
academy during the first part of it. These
leaves, granted when the cadets come to
their third and fifth years, would be the
only ones permitted during the course. In
order to carry out such a plan, more prac-
tice vessels nigh. well be furnished to the
academy.
This proposal for abo'i,hing sea service
and substituting six years term at Annap-
oils, aud of reducing the maximum age of
admission from 20 years to Is, has now re-
ceived the approval of two successive boards
of visitors, and it was also recommended to
Secretary Tracy by Superintendent Robert
L. Phytbian, who still has charge of the in
stitution. Some yeare ago a proposition
was made tn reduce the course from six
years to four years, allowing the cadet to
be commissioned at once at the end of the
latter period, as is the custom of the army.
That, however, was rejected by the House
naval committee. If the present plan is
carried out one result will be to avoid the
expense of sending the cadets home from
stations, perhaps distant, for final examina-
ton and graduation. On the other hand,
there might be additional expenses for edu-
cation at the academy.