The evening times., 1899-05-16
NAVAL ACADEMY TESTS
TO Be MORE Severe
Decided Advance in the Stand.
ard of Admission.
New Order Goes Into Effect at An
napOlis Today.
Number of Candidates Already Re.
duced by the Rigid he
Guirem cnts.

Candidates for admission to the Naval
Academy will hereafter be obliged to IN
dergo a much more severe examination
, than has been heretofore required. AL
though the age limit for entrance has not
been advanced by Congress, the academic
| board has decided that. TO maintain n
larger number of cadets at the Institution
and thus increase the yearly output for the
| service. it is advisable to have young men
than has been demanded since the estab-
lishment of the institution.
The average graduating class at Anna
polls seldom equals forty members out of
from ninety to one hundred and twenty
cadets who have begun the course. the
| difference having been lost by failure of
| cadets to meet the requirements of the
curriculum. So pressing is the demand
for Junior officers in the navy that it is
recognized that something must be done
to increase the number of graduates as
signed to the line annually.
The only way suggested Of accomplish
ing this end is TO either graduate more ca
diets by raising the standard of admission
or having an act passed providing appoint
ments for Senators and allowing the Presi-
dent more nominations. The Naval Person
mel act. while providing promotions in all
grades. failed to increase the number OF
appointments to the Academy The pres
ent system of appointment allows one ca
det to each Congressional district and ten
to the President. 1t is held that if half
OF the candidates admitted to Annapolis
were graduated there would be no difficult
ty in filling the lower grades; but the his
tory of the school shows that not more
than one-third of each class entering re-
ceive final commissions.
II has been determined to advance the
standard OF admission and thus insure a
greater probability of those graduating
who were admitted as cadets. and the ap-
plication OF this order is to go into effect
today at Annapolis. when the candidates
appointed for the May examinations will
appear. The result OF the new order OF
things has been to reduce far below any
previous record ahe number of boys who
will take the examination, not more than
twenty having been appointed out of more
than one hundred Congressional vacancies.
The trouble seems to have been due 10 the
reluctance of boys to take appointments
from men when they realize they were
not equipped to meet the new require
mentS. Usually. at least one hundred can
didates report for the May examination,
and generally about one-half are admit-
ted.
There will be another examination early
IN September. when vacancies left over
from the May examination are filled by
nominations. but this year practically the
entire new class will report in September
instead of in May. as has been the prac-
tice for fifty years. The failure of boys
at the Naval Academy is attributed princi-
pally to lack of instruction in mathematics
before entering. This is regarded as the
most important study taught at the school.
More boys fail in this branch than In all
the rest combined, and to secure a higher
average of proficiency in it the examina-
tions for admission have been considerably
extended and increased by the action of the
academy authorities. Geometry and al
zebra, which have not been required fer
admission heretofore except in the ele-
mentary branches, are now made require
ments for admission. The other branches
are also widened in scope. and candidates
rejected on any one must fail in admis-
sion.