The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-10-07
west POINT TEST
GRADED TOO LOW,
Board OF Visitors Recommends
Raising the Standard
of Admission.
CADETS STUDY TOO HARD.
Many Required to Advance More
Rapidly Than Their Previous
Training Warrants-Gen-
eral Corbin's Views.


REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
Washington. oct. 6.-Great stress IS laid
on the necessity OF raising the standard o.
admission to the west Foiat Military Acad-
envy IN the annual report OF the Board o.
Visitors. The recommendations OF the board
are fully Endorsed by the WaT Department
Objections 10 the present entrance exarai-
nations are that their scope and standards
were fixed by Congress as long aso as Bl2.
with only one amendment. made in 1851. II
IS urged that the educational requirements
do not correspond In any way with the
present scholastic conditions Of the country
and that an unnecessary hardship IS worked
both on the cadets and on the Government
Entrance requirements are not sufficiently
advanced TO exclude the youth who has
only fitted himself for the present high
school course, while the studies which lie Is
required 10 take up and make rapid a.
rancement II after his admission are far
beyond what his previous training make
him capable of accomplishing. and he drops
out at the first examination. Records Of
the academy show that 70 per cent Of those
admitted fail to graduats. waiis cne-third
OF those examined for admission fan 20
pass.
The change SO earnestly urged is that
the whole matter Of admission examinations
be LETT In the hands OF the Secretary o;
War. who shall prescribe the regulations
from time to tine, and that in addition To
being well versed in reading. writing. arith-
metic, English grammar, descriptive geos-
raphy. Particularly thai OF tbs United
States and the history OF the United States,
applicants shall be well versed In algebra
and shall have a knowledge OF geometry,
Committed Suggests Remedy.
n1uTf N-a f-.sl
Tor West Point have governed the entrance
TO the Naval Academy IN Annapolis for
some time and have resulted In a much
higher scholastic entrance requirement
s sphnoa a. msst r foi Int aas report Of the
embodying these views is somewhat tenn
pered by tho comment Of the fun board.
which says:
'If the Secretary OF Wer were given
power to regulate the requirements for ad-
mission and the curriculum as recommend
ed by the subcommittee, much needed
changes could be made and the cadets re-
!icved to some extent of the present pres
sure upon them, which is very great-too
F Ere N He5 the 0piniI goS of some i not all Of
same time. care were shown in the
selection Of candidates for admis-
the rnortincat.on attending failure. and
the Government would b. sDa-el the e.
lense of selecting those who graduate from
the large number who present themselves
In this connection Il may Le wei to
say thai experience Uggcsis some dCGb:
as to the success OF the methods OF select
ing c"ndldats for the acadIny by compati-
tive examination. The type Of youth
Who has In him the possibili-
ties Of tho successful soldier Is
not a rare one In this country. hut he
is not to be sifted from his fellows by the
ordinary method OF scholastic competition.
HIS pOsse ss."l Of the energy ana -5rCa &C
cnaractcr. tn ccu:tge anu resJiuJIyn e;
purpose especially required for the profess
SION "t arms must De determined ~ Other
methods than those Of the scholar"