Evening star., 1909-06-03
First Floor.

where, is used to describe bluff at An
napolis, and a bootlick is called a
"greaser''; the "gewgag" is the bugle
which sounds the orders: "frappe means
something very fine: Jimmy Legs is
the master-at-arms who corresponds TO
the proctor of an ordinary university:
pap is the daily report that is made OF
a midshipman's department and recna-
tions; rag is to inform on anotheI' d
"rhino" is a kicker: "slush". means fiat
terry; Ito snag'' is to be caught breaking
the rules; Ito stab is to make wild
guess at the answer to question IN recf
tation: star" is a midshipman VINO
stands high in his class. he is also cameo
a ..striper'' because he wears stripes TO
indicate his rank: "unsat is an unsatls-
factory recitation; zip means failure;
the "Christmas'' tree is list posted the
latter part of December containing TIE
names of midshipmen who nave 1alled OF
have fallen below the standards-and m
deed there are many other colloqulallsms
peculiar to the Naval Academy which
should be selected and published for pres
ervation.
Physical Improvement Of Cadets
One of the most important recommends
tions of the Wainwright board, which has
been repeated annually by the regular
boards of visitors and has been the espe-
cial subject Of investigation recently by
a board of officers, headed by COMMANDER
Charles A. Cove, concerns the physlcal
Improvement of the cadets. Every one
who has given attention to the subject
realizes that the participation in athletic
sports of all kinds should be more gen
eral among the midshipmen and should
not be confined to few selected men
trained Ito battle for the honor of the
school," The tendency, Supt Badger tells
me. is to leave the base ball. foot ball.
track work and others forms of athletics
to the few who excel, while the great
tod 70 ait,
as spectators. and. therefore. get no bene-
fit. Capt Badger says also that too much
importance has been attached to rev
particular forms of sport, such as foot
ball and base ball. which he thinks Is not
we'll for the majority of the cadets. The
recent report of the special board appoint
ed to look into the system of physical
training recommends that the time al
lowed for exercise be doubled. and that
the midshipmen should have one hour in
the morning and one hour and a half in
tue afternoon, and that they should all be
required to spend that time only in some
form of physical exercise and gymnasium
work.
Capt Badger says that competition in
athletics between the four classes fur
nished the best and most healthy form of
sport for the midshpmen. considering
their peculiar situation and environment.
Although it must be acknowledged that
matches with outside teams serve greatly
to keep up enthusiasm he does not
believe that the effect is healthful as a
whole.
Gas long as matches with outside teams
are played upon the Naval Academy
grounds" Capt. Badger says, their in
fuence on the whole is beneficial. but the
opposite would be true. except in the case
Of the games with West Point. If the mid
shipmen were allowed to visit other in
stitutions at a distance, as is SO often
urged.
Capt. Badger quotes with approval the
remarks of the board of visitors for 1908
in regard to atheletics. and says
Beneficial in Two Senses.
There can be no doubt that the pro-
motion of all kinds Of physical exercise
naturally decreases the tendency Of the
midshipmen to offend against discipline.
and is therefore beneficial in moral as
well as in a physical sense. Every eff
fort is made therefore to employ the
bodies as well as the minds of the mid
sh.pmen in healthy exercise and enter
tainment inside the grounds. This helps
to remove the tendency to break bounds
and seek diversion in ways that are for
hidden by the regulations. Small-arm tar
get practice. fencing, rowing, boat sail
ing, tennis, basket ball. lacrosse, track
work and gymnasium work have been
especially encouraged. and. during the
past year, considerably more than half
the midshipmen have taken an active part
IN the voluntary athletics of the acad-