Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-07
MORE CADETS NEEDED.
West Point Graduating Class
Eighty Short.
TAFT WILL SEEK REMEDY
Congress to Be Asked to Authorize
Mere Appointments.
ACADEMY BEING ENLARGED
Less Than Thirty-Nine Per Cent Of
Army Officers Today Are Grad
yates of the Point.
ACADEMY BEING ENLARGED

Less than thirty-nine per cent of tbs
whole number Of officers in the United
States Army are graduates OF the West
Point Military Academy. and each grad
uating class is about eighty short OF the
number necessary to officer the army
These facts will form the basis of an eff
fort to be made next winter by the Presi-
dent and the Secretary of War to induce
Congress to increase by 1913 the number
OF cadets to be appointed to the academy
every three years instead of every -four
years. as al present.
The present strength of the corps OF
cadets at West Point was estab lished
many years ago when the army consisted
Of only $1,000 men. In 1901 the army was
increased to its present strength of SO.GOI
men and $500 officers About the same
time Congress authorized a project for en-
larsing the plant at the Military Acade.
my and has from year to year made APP
preparations aggregating about six and
one-half million dollars for the construc.
ment of existing ones. but no increase
has yet been made in the size OF the corps
Of cadets.
Improvements Nearly Completed.
The work On these improvements at
toward completion. and the superintend-
ent. Col. Scott says that by next spring
the Improvements will have been ad-
vanced sufficiently to accommodate $50
cadets
Experience during the last thirty five
years shows that the annual vacancies
in the army due to deaths, retirements.
designations and other causes are per
cent of the authorized strength, and,
therefore. In order to keep up strength
OF 1000 officers there should be about
l.soo officers appointed each year. The
present authorized strength at West
Point Is 525, but there are usually about
100 vacancies due to failure In their en-
trance and semi-annual examinations, so
that the actual number of cadets is only
about 425, and the classes graduate on
an average about 100 men, or SO short
OF the required number.
Since June, 1893. there have been 5000
appointments to commissions in the army
exclusive Of the Medical Corps and dur
ing that period there have been only $50
cadets graduated from West Point
Civil Appointess Dropping Out.
1t has been thought by some that be-
cause there are now relatively few old
officers in the army. for a number of
years to come there will be relatively
few retirements. Experience shows
however, that those officers appointed
from civil life during the Spanish war
are rapidly dropping out of the service
This Is illustrated by the fact that Of
al officers who have left the active list
during the last four years. only sixty-one
were retired for age, whereas $50 va
cancies were caused by deaths. resig-
nations, etc. OF the 4SO, thirty-six were
generals. fifty-one colonies, twenty -sev-
en- lieutenant colonies. sixty-two majors,
ninety-one captains. ia first lieutenants
and n1nety-nine second lieutenants.
The plan to be recommended by the
War Department for increasing the corps
of cadets provides the appointment shall
be made every three years instead Of ev-
cry four years, so that each member Of
Congress, senator and the President will
make appointments more frequently. and
there will be no disturbance in the
method of distributing such appoint
ments. A similar plan was adopted when
the corps of cadets at the Naval Acad-
envy was increased to its present size
1t is thought there will be no strong
opposition in Congress to the passage Of
the desired legislation.