Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-27

threshold. But this improvement cannot
| be carried out for several years, and even
then 1t VIII be difficult to induce anybody
to keep the hotel. because the patronage
is very irregular. Sometimes, for few
days. there will be twice IS many guests
as can be accommodated when there are
functions at the academy; hut for the
greater part of the year. when there is
nothing special going on, the rooms will
be empty. Furthermore. the landlord is
not allowed to keep bar or sell wines
OF liquors, which will diminish tho profits.
No liquor selling is allowed on the reser-
walton.
Certain reasons. which are not dis
cussed i'm the reports of the officials, ire
'.sed privately in opposition to any kind
OF hotel on the academy grounds. Many
experienced officers advocate a building
and simple quarters for the accommoda-
ton Of officials who visit the institution
on business and for graduates who come
back for q day or two now and then to
attend class reunions and other gather
ings, and already "a limited number can
find bed and board in Cullom Memorial
Hall and the Officers Club. Such ac-
cOmmodationS for men only are believed
by many to be all that is necessary or
desirable. They argue that it is bad
practice to have the families OF cadets
| OH the reservations at any time. me
mother of a cadet as experience mas
demonstrated in numerous cases, can de-
mOralize the entire corps and when she
comes with q daughter or two or other
Young ladies to spend the summer months
a, West Point SO as to he near her boy
che is often regarded as a dangerous
nuisance The presence of strangers,
particularly of the feminine gender. and
more particularly the mothers OF CADETS
always intcrferes with discipline. with
study and with all the other duties OF
cadets. officers and instructors.
Col. SCOTS Recommendation. :
| For these and other reasons Col. Scott,
! the present superintendent. has been
strongly urging the purchase of Lady
cliffe Academy at Highland Falls by the
government for a hotel. This property
ad MS the academy reservation and vas
| formerly Cranston's Hotel, having been
purchased by one of the educat 'onal sis
terhoods of the Roman Catholic Church
!. for a convent school several years ago.
The building is of brick. we'll constructed.
and contains 223 rooms: is surrounded by
| forty eight acres of park upon one of
the most commanding sites on either
| bank of the Hudson: has an excellent
water supply. garden and all the ad-
vantages possessed by the best hotel on
/, the river.
1T is far enough from West Point
not to interfere with the tranquility Of
| the cadets, and is near enough to en-
| able guests to so back anG forth without
81
West Point must undoubtedly expand
| in the future and Highland Falls is the
| only direction in which it can do SO. on
account Of the mountains which surround
| the reservation on every other side.
| believe that Ladycliffe Academy can be
purchased and refitted for approximately
| the sum necessary to erect new hotel
with smaller accommodations upon the
| reservation. 1t will keep large amount
of automobile travel out OF the post, pro-
| vide a place for the parents and friends
of cadets which will he sufficiently near.
and, having an abundance of room. will
attract general custom to enable the
| management to provide proper accommo-
dat ons and thus do away with the con-
| slant complaint about the present hotel
Col. Scott has asked permission to take
the necessary steps to acquire the prop
| erty. and Congress may decide to include
a paragraph for that purpose in the next
appropriation bill for the military acad-
envy.