Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-06-07
CHANGE At THE ACADEMY
PRESIDENT APPOINTS COM
MISSION.
Inquiries 70 b Made Iafg cssrse sf
SfH5y-cs0i Nsiss0Ehf % fhe
Commiffiea.
MATHEMATICS A STUMBLING
BLOCK TO LARGE PER CENT
uF NTDsHIPMEH.

l the Bureau ~ steam Engin@~Ffnx. 1n4
Lieut.. Commander Albert H. Eev, per-
souai aid % tbe President, On d1rg
with the Gensral Board, - iuquirs
into the course u instruction. - mid
shlpmen ~ the <aval Aeadsmy and -
report - the Secretary ~ the &asy be-
fore The beginning 0f she neNt aea~
denie year.
For many years there has been an
impression ~ the minds - many
officers that there shonld BE- a change
| in tie courses ~ study at the Naval
Academy. aod particularly IN the
conduct ~ examinations and fhe Civ
ing 10 foiGshlyrnen - the maEks -
weekly, monthly. ssmi-arnuaIIy and
annually. from which fhefF final
marks are deducted AMI spon whieh
f. determined their fitness % be grad
nated and their relative standing iu
the classes.
Administration after administrators
~ Washington and AZ the NaVaI
Academy has bad its attention called
10 the assertion by midshipmeu and
others and indersed BY some - the
officers who have served &C the Naval
Academy that The courses % stuav
ard methods u examination and
marking have nos tended 10 produces
the best results. The rules have caused
nlfdship5nen TO fail who. while up -
the marx in general efficiency and IN
every way qualified To receive 4 CEN
mission. have been unabls 10 meet
the requirements 81 the acaiemy IN
some one particular
Afafbema tics has been the sinn1b-
ling block Of = large percentage -
the mfdshIpmen who have failed 70
pass the required mental exaniu2-
tions and has been the .-bogsyman
Of a large number Of those who have
passed. many Of whom afterward
were among the most distinguished
officers Of the service The midship-
mems records on file in the Navy
Departm ent, from the time the Aead
emy was established, sixty years -
more ago. will show that while some
star men in mathematics have
msde star officers a large proper
ti0n Of those who have been eo1spie-
uous for efficiency. bravery and gen
eraI distinction and usefulness are
those who accomplished t,ae matbe-
matfca1 course AZ the Naval Academy
after trials and tribuIatI0ns. wouId
never have received an ensign's eom-
mission had the mathematical resIuire-
ments been 50 exacting as they are
today
1t is not the intention Of President
Roosevelt nor the commission Of in
0uiry 10 lower the standard Of re-
auiremeBts at the Naval Academy II
any degree. Nr. Roosevelt does net
believe that the physical or mental
standard should be reduced. but ne
regards il as unjust 10 the midshipmen
and unfair 10 the Government thar
Young man who has been admitted 60
the Academy after passing the din
.'cuIt entrance examinations. physical
and mental, and who has maintained
a good average in all his Studies buS
who has been unable TO make the stip-
uIated marx in mathematics 0< IN
auy other one study, should perforce
be denied commission and the navy
thus deprived Of an officer who. al
though without the technically trained
mind Of a university professor. yet
possesses all the qualifications needed
in an intelligent, efficient and parri-
otic officer.
Practical Officers not book sharps.
are in the opinion Of the President
what the navy needs
President Roosevelt has always been
interested in naval matters - a.
sistant Secretary Of the Navy be be-
came cOnversant with the methods in
vogue in the various branches u the
department. His knowledge, there
fore, is practical, and added 20 this
be has a sentimental interest IN the
service, which nad led him % write
about il and which may induce BIN
to enter one Of his boys as mid
shipman when he reaches the required
-. e.
Roosevelt that the tendency AZ the
Naval Academy 10 make a mldsbiD-
mans success depend 50 largely upon
his proficiency in mathematics Is the
result Of the accumulation Of many
wears 0f administration in which iine
officers 0f the navy have had little
part.
one department after another as tins
went on has been put IN charge 0f
SPECIALISTS officers belonging - the
Il permanent corps Of professors who
have made il the sine qua non of =
midshipman' success that be shall
reach a certain stipulated marx IN the
/ department over which the particular
| specialist pEesides- The requirements
Of the department II mathematics
have been especially severe but IN
| der the custom that has Isgng prevailed
at the Academy - . Inldsnlpnan pass
Is the established marx in every study
except mathematics, and falls below
the minimum in that. be is rated -un-
/ satisfactory
Nr. Ro0seveIt's purpose - 50 te
| change the method u marking 4nl-
/ II necessary. the method - instrue-
ton. As to mold the boys Ebo eniss
| the Aeade my as nsIdsbIpruen into stu
dents who, having done their best
| will be graduated AZ the end - fbe
1 four years' term II they have H1iE-
| tanned and prescribed general average
/ in studies and physical condition.
| and demonstrated that they possess
the qualities that vii make them
1 desirable officers, even thoug1 rn2T
/ might have baked ~ some involved
1 technical and mathematical q1es-
| fi0ns. He does lot mean ~ lower t1e
standard IN any respect bat BE seeks
/ to make Il Uniform auf - gl~1 rw~~s
studi0os and v-efi-saasssaaAs.< ard ~
set-Uv f,e< - l.sf ..s s.4ss7 81 cA8rz-if 3
I