Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-04-03
THE VREELAND BILL PASSES
CUTS TWO YEARS FROM MID
SHIPMENTS COURSE.
Hereafter -Four Years Instead o.
Six To Rank AS Ensigus
At Graduation.
MORE TIME FOR CANDIDATES
PREPARATION.

MORE TIME FOR CANDIDATES
PREPARATION.
Under a suspension of the rules, the
| NIesland bill relating to appoint.
nents to the Naval Academy was
| passed in the House yesterday. The
measure is based upon the recommen-
| dations of the Board of Visitors TO the
Naval Academy made last June, many
/ Of these recommendation being simi-
lar to those which bad for years been
| made by other Boards of Visitors.
There was minor opposition To the
bill from Representative Slayden, of
Texas, and Rixey. Of Virginia, but
this was withdrawn upon the accept.
ance of a minor amendment. The
measure as passed provides that the
nomination of candidates for admis.
sion as midshipmen shall be made as
soon as possible after June / of each
year preceding the final graduation
Of midshipmen of the preceding year !;
that is, that the appointment of can
didates for admission shall be made
about year in advance, instead of a
few weeks in advance, as at present.
Nearly every Board of Visitors to
the Academy since 1884 has urged
that nominations of candidates for ad
mission should be made from nine to
twelve months in advance of the en-
trance examinations. This provision
has already been adopted by law for
West Point.
Under the present system the candi-
late for admission TO the Naval Acad-
emy has only a few weeks in which
10 prepare for examination. 1t has
E.-I 4
these candidates are unable to pass
the entrance examinations and that
approximately 10 per cent. of those
who do gain admission are sooner or
later found deficient aud dropped,
chiefly because they were lacking in
rhat degree Of previous preparation
decessary as q foundation for the re-
luired oonrse of study. Under the
system at West Point of appointing
from 10 months TO "a year i'll advance,
nearly all the candidates have been
enabled 70 pass the entrance exami-
nation. Mr. Nreeland, of New York,
author of the bill pointed out in the
debate yesterday that the cost of main
tanning the great school at the Naval
Academy is about the same whether
it has the full quota of students al
lowed by law or is far below the
maximum. It is believed that under
this system anv young man. 1G wears
IF age or older, who has had com.
mon school educational advantages,
supplemented by S to 10 months
special study, can pass the required
entrance examination and with ordi.
nary application and industry sus-
tain himself throughout the academic
course.
The bill as reported TO the House
provided that if Senators and Repre-
sentatives have not made their recon-
mendations of candidates lby August
- of the year in which they receive
notice of vacancies, the Secretary of
the Navy should fill the vacancy by
appointment from the state for which
the vacancy existed. Representatives
Rixey and Slayden both objected that
this was not sufficient time in which
recommendations could be made by
members, and the result was the adop-
ton of an amendment allowing Sena.
tors and Representatives until April
- of the year following that in which
the notice is given by the Secretary
Of the Navy.
Another important feature of the
bill passed yesterday is the section
pcoyiding that tie academic course of
luidshipmen at the Academy shall
hereafter be four years, insteadof six
years, and also providing that@mid-
slIipmen shall receive appointments
Ds ensigns III the navy Immediately
after thcy shall Lave passed their ex.
sminations, taking rank according to
their proficiency as shown by the order
Of their merit at the date of gradu.
alton The bill also provides that after
July /, 1905, all candidates for ad-
mission to the Academy must be be-
tween the ages of 16 and 10 years.
The result OF shortening the course
" i'll be to. allow one third as many
more students to pass through the in
tsitution in given time than is al
lowed by existing law.
The fourth section of the bill passed
provides that civilian professors and
Instructors at the Academy, after 10
years or more of continual service,
Shall be provided with quarters or
commutation therefor as now allowed
lieutenant commander of the navy,
and that these professors and ipstruc-
tors shall have the privilege of buying
c0sl and wood at the Government
Iates. The last section of the bill
passed by the House provides that the
Board of Visitors, appointed in the
same manner as at present, shall re.
coive an appointment for q term of
y years, so as to make the board q con-
tinuous body, in which a majority at
all times shal ave lad 8 i0us SER
vice u. board. The Naval
Academy ha>ln bill conference re-
port was adopted.