Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-08-15
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS TO THE
NAVAL ACADEMY.
Many Important Recommends
tions And Suggestions
Are Made.

According 10 the Oest autnoLitNs many
OF these Recommendations wall DC moor
pora,ed in the forthcoming annual report
OF Secretary OF the Navy w. II. Moody.
and will come before Congress at It's
next session for action. The Board OF
Visitors consisted OF Senator L. r. Nc
Comas, Representatives Champ Clark
and Robert Adams. DIR. H. L. Prischett.
Prof. A. c. Ellis, Mr.. Lewis Nixon, Rear
Admiral George Brown, Captain A. T..
Mahan, Col. Robert Nj. Thompson and
Hon. John X. Proctor.
The board began its session at the
Naval Academy on June and adjourned
Iune (, and reports that during this peiiod
every facility was afforded Tor making
all necessary inquiry and inve lIgatlon
within the scope of It's mission. The
board says in its report thar 1t IS gratlfed
to state that in the three primary requi-
sites of naval training. moral, intellectual
and physical, for which the academy was
instituted-in discipline, scholarship and
bodily development-the methods OF the
academy and their enforcement in prac ice
are eminenlly satisfactory as tar as the
means at the scademy's disposal go.
In order to obtain the best results from
the practical exercises the board regards
it as expedient that all obsolete types OF
ships and war mate rials be replaced by
modern service types. and particularly
that OF lighi-draft monitors be attached
to the academy as gunneTy and train
ing ship. The annual cruise OF midshIp-
men should be conducted as nearly as
possible under service conditions.
PHYSICAL TRAINING DEPARTMENT
The recommendations OF the board as
TO methods are confined, with a single
exception, to matters relating to admis-
sion and graduation. The exception. re-
laling 10 training while at the Academy /.
is THAI the board thinks that the physical
development, and consequently bodily
yigor, of the midshipmen would be pro-
noted by the creation of department
OF physical training. placing this matter
under the special supervision of highly
qualified expert.
NEW PLANS FOR EXAMINATIONS
The board recommends that candi-
dates be nominated one year in advance
OF the entrance examination. The board
distance TO be travelled by candidates
from some paris OF the country 10 An
napolis. with the possibility of failure
after all in many cases, that in addition
10 the present method OF examination at
the acadt my candidates be admitted upon
certificates from certain schools, the said
schools whose certificates shall be ac-
cepted TO be determined by the academic
ooaId. II is believed that the methods
Of admission now employed at West
Point and the better class of State uni
versities could be modified to meet the
peculiar needs. of the Naval Academy,
the details OF such methods, as appli
cable to these needs, being left to the
academic board
GRADUATION IN FOUR YEARS
Graduation at the end Of the four years
course at the academy should be final.
This means that the graduate should not.
as now, return at the end of two years
for the further examination, which at
present constitutes final examination. The
reason for this recommendation is that
the present final examination differs in
no essential respect from that at the end
of the four years. yet 1t remains. during
the two years OF service intervening, a
weight upon the mind of the individual,
since it not only affects his continuance
in the navy, about which he might have
little fear, but also may cause him to
lose class slaLding, which, under the
tul. OF promotion by seniority, means
loss of naval rank throughout his career.
This induces preoccupation, with the
result of predisposilion TO devote effort
to preparation for that examination, hich
in tendency is detrimental to attention to
present duty. As the graduate at the end
OF four years is already man-over FL
usualiy-the board recommends that he
then receive commission and be thence.
forth liable only to the same examinations
as all officers at each promotion.
A MATTER TO BE REGRETTED.
The board is of the opinion that the
expedient recently adOpted-and doubt
less only temporary IN inte ntion- of grad
uating the first class in February instead
of in June is, upon The whole, 10 be re-
GREETED. The emergency which has die
ta,ed the departments action and. so 10
say, forced iIs hand Is admitted. Never
theless, the board feels that the loss OF
three or four months at the elimination
of an academic training constitutes loss
to tie navy, through the individual.
which is not compensated by the momen-
tary relief 10 the overwcrked body OF
officers, and it recommend that the first
class hereafter be permitted to carry its
course to the normal conclusion.
MORE INSTRUCTORS NEEDED.
Il has been represented to the board
that the very great increase In numbers
Of midshipmen al the academy calls for
a proportionate increase in the number
of INSTRUCTORS. This IS obvious. and, more
over. one OF the great advantages Of the
academic system hitherto has been the
large number Of instructors. which, by
causing each to have but a small number
of students under his hand a. particular
hour. enables him 10 apply an individual
instruction and an individual pressure
not otherwise attainable.
FOR A PERMANENT BOARD.
While discussing the various matters
connected with is duties. the present
board has been led 10 realize that the
functions attributed 10 the Board Cf VS.
itors could probably be better discharged
II from year. 10 year there were some
continuity OF existence instead Of an en-