Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-07

OF 49, CdnQIQdleS ueSlS IldISus 1Io AoASN
20 report and made no explanation. Some
of them are doubtless frightened by the
severity of the examinations. which is IN
ulcated in the instructions sent them from
the War Department; others may have
peen persuaded by nervous mothers not to
take up a military career; others. afte.
looking into the circumstances, may nave
decided that they prefer other careers.
You can imagine several motives for
staying out of the a. my.
Percentage of Failures.
The percentage of those who fail to re-
port and the percentage of those who fall
to pass the examination are about the
same every year, but this winter, out of
nearly five hundred candidates designated,
only one hundred and five passed the ex-
aminations last month, much smaller
numbe. than usual. The remaining three
hundred who reported were rejected by
the medical board or failed 10 pass the
mental examinations.
This leaves 1JU vacancies at the acad-
envy. part of them Will be nlled, per-
haps twenty-five or thirty. at supple
mental examination which will be he'd at
West Point the 23d of Februa.y, when
those who are designated to fill the va
canoies will have chance to Try tnelr
iuck The War Department will not FUR
nish list Of the states and congressman
the senators and members or the House
are at. aid of being annoyed by the lmpor-
tunlties of those who desire appointments |:
therefore the only way a boy VINO Wouio
like to go to West Point can ascertain
whether there is a vacancy In his district
is to write his senator or member or the
House and ask him for the appointment.
This will have to be done at once, be-
cause the examinations Will De neio at
West Point February q, and there Is
only time enough to arrange the appoint
ment by prompt action.
The authorized strength of the corps OF
cadets is $50, and at present there are
All cadets on the rolls. The next grad
hating class numbers only eighty-four.
which will reduce the total by that much.
In order to increase the number, upon
the recommendation Of the Secretary or
war. the chief of staff and the superin-
.endent of the academy. bill mas been
introduced into the House and SENATE
providing that whenever any cadet shall
have finished three years Of his course
at the academy his successor may be ad-
mitted, and the corps of cadets Is In
creased to meet tat provision.
II this bill is enacted into law 1t Will
increase the corps about % per cent and
increase the cost Of maintaining the acad-
envy less than l per cent Inis VIII De
done without disturbing the present ar
rangement of making appointments, one
from each congressional district, and two
from each state at large. But 1t Will re-
,ure amendments to be made every
three years instead of every four years,
as is now the case.
Explained by Col. Scott.
Col. Scott, the superintendent of the
academy, in explaining the result said:
IL this bill passes, as soon as cadet
reaches the graduating class he would
create a vacancy and his successor would
enter as a fourth class man. The number
of cadets graduated at the Military Acad-
5my during the ten years from 1888 to
1908 was oil less than the humber OF va
cancies in the army caused by casualties,
so that, without considering the increase
in the army, the cadets graduated from
West Point have averaged 81 per year less
than the vacancies by casualties. During
the last five years the classes at West
Point have been larger, they have aver
aged 1O5 per year. so that the NUMBER
graduated per year has averaged 30 less
than the number of vacancies caused by
the army or out of it, realize that during
the past ten years the Military Academy
has not only furnished a single graduate
to fill a vacancy caused by the increase OF
the army, but that the graduating c asses
have averaged 81 short of number
necessary to replace ordinary casualties,
such as deaths, designations, retirements,
etc.
1.-The proposed increase in the corps
would result in the graduation OF about
1870 cadets per year, beginning five years
hence. Without considering any future
Ell. agreements of the army, this number
will be necessary to fill the vacancies
caused in the army by ordinary casual
ties only. 1t is not contemplated to de-
prive the normal number of enlisted men
and civilians from getting commissions as
second lieutenants, as heretofore. Con-
gress has made generous appropriations
for increasing the facilities at West
Point, and this enlargement of the m
stitution has now progressed to the ex-
tent that about 100 cadets can be accom-
modated."
Record Of Ten Years.
During the last ten years $50 officers
have entered the army from the acad-
envy; 564 have been promoted from the
ranks and 1,:7S have been appointed from
civil life. Thus 1,94o second lieutenants
have never had the benefit of the train
ng and the discipline which is provided
by the government for army officers, and
which is supposed to be necessary for
competent soldier. At present only 1885
per cent of the officers in the army were
educated at the academy: 1297 were pro-
NOTED from the ranks, and 1857 per cent
were appointed from civil life.
In the opinion of the wisest officers
the passage VI TIE pToposeu pill Will not
accomplish what is necessary. because it
will only give few more boys a chance
for appointment, and will not qualify
them for passing the entrance emamina-
ton. In order to relieve the situation
it is necessary either to modify the rules
of admission or provide some means by
which candidates may be properly pre-
pared to comply with them. Candidates
for admission come from the high schools
and academies of the country at large,
and some of them have spent a year or
two perhaps at an ordinary college. but
have heen accustomed a methods