The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-10-29
ROUND PEGS IN SQUARE HOLES.

The recent resignation of midshipman on the
Dreadnaught Delaware, on account Of the fact
that his FIRST voyage proved him to be prime
victim of NAL de nser, is the comedy going to
tighten the tragedy arising from an analogous
drowned in New York harbor because he could
not swim.
It would seem that neither of these men would
have sought career in the navy. In the case
Of the sailor, he knew that he could not swim ;
while in the case Of the midshipman he should
have first ascertained whether or not he was fit u
for sea duty. The sailor paid for his own nm
fitness with his life; the mdshipman has simply
succeeded in putting the Government to the use
less expense of educating useless naval officer
IT, instead of resigning, the midshipman had
continued in the service. it is not without the
bounds of reason that owing to his incapacitv. he
might have cost his country ship as we'll a.
the time it threw away in preparing him for
service be could not render. sea-sick officer
has about as much place ON battleship as sick
kitten in rat infested barn. and for that reason
his resignation was promptly accepted. But it
does seem that navy tests might include in the be-
ginning some method of ascertaining whether the
men on whom the country is ultimately to RELY
belong to that unbalanced class for the assmila-
ton of whose food the solid earth is necessary
foundation.
Both Of these instances illustrate the bitho
disregard Of circumstance with which many thou
sands OF the youth take to profession. In edu-
cation and employment parents and children
alike look over the field with an eye single to
the sort Of work to be done and the pay for doing
it, without regard to the fitness or aptitude of the
hopeful yuungling who 10 to engage the task.
Born mechanics waste valuable years, and some
times valuable lives, in hopeless struggle with
the learned professions. In the days Of Especial
schools, ability as scholar is often squandered
on a disastrous attempt to acquire technical
knowledge In al departments of life will one
find these square pegs in round holes, all won
dering unhappily at their inability to meet the
occasion, and most Of them pessimisticallx growl-
ing At the ''luck'' by which they are pursued.
Upon the opening of certain college, the
trustees, in sending blanks to applicants for
faculty petitions, included in the list Of queries
G question disclosing the religious utilization of
the prospective professor One of the appli-
Giants, running on this question, was not At all
aismayed By the evident fast that his own church
afRliation was not that Of the UNCONVENTIONAL
college with which he sought position. Instead,
he wrote in bold hand after the query this il
Illuminating answer: "Episcopalisn- could be
Baptist. In the light Of the numbers who in
their ignorance feel that they "could be" any
thing,-hwysr, or sailor, OF cook, or priest
life in general would gain nauchsin efficiency and
the happiness Of those called upon to play its
game If there could be established some system,
whereby the youth conld b. put through series
Of tssb for elimination. At least the Govern
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