Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-01-24
THE POINT OF VIEW
OF AN UNDERGRADUATE


Midshipman Ernest G. Small U. S.
N. A. Class 1912.
TELLS OF THE NAVAL ACADEMY
Reproduction of Story Recently
Published IN U. S. Naval 10
siitule
: Surely il is asonable 10 ask that
this condition remedied. if fer 70
other reason n that the sentiment
il engsnders is subversiye OF lisci-
pline. There is another reason call
in for change. The many opportu
mites given 20 persons in and out Of
the naval service to report midship-
men creates in the minds # the lat
ter, If not a fear. an unwhnles0me
respect for whoever ranks them. It
is not conceivable that in the after
lives of some of them there will come
a time when they must perform a duty
that will be very distasteful in its
working out to some one who ranks
them. The present scheme of things
win hardly produce strength TO meet
such crisis.
The remedy to me is simple.
Change the system of reports to that
system which obtains at sea. Let
trivial reports go by the board, and,
above all, let there be solid basis
in fact for every report. BY this
means there will not be a new order
of things to be learned on going to
sea. have in mind few words OF
advice in the Hints to the Gradual
ing Glass" which illustrates my
point exactly: "No captain is
pleased to find a large number of
men at the mast each morning,
and the officer who makes needless
reports will hear from him. 1t is a
sign of inexperience.
The transition at present from
the strict and minute control of the
Academy 10 the responsibility of
an officer is a very sudden one, so
sudden that it often overthrows the
balance of the graduate. The
effect of the change could be less
ened by making the transition more
gradual. Give the upper classmen
more responsibility and more privi-
leges. The privilege of leaving the
city af Annapolis for a few hours,
say Saturday afternoon and evening.
would be highly priced, would tend
to greater content, and would re-
suit in higher efficiency. 1t may be
urged that the privilege would be
abused; but in the main I doubt it.
Midshipmen are proud of their ser
vice and their uniform, and if the
facts were plainly put to them, they
would see that they were a credit
to the service they represented
while away. can think of so many
occasions in my four years when a
few hours change of scene would
have me ant a great deal. 1t would
have meant so much to me that
would have striven with might and
main to earn the privilege if l had
had the opportunity. This is a sug-
gestion of what might be done. Re-
sponsibility and privilege are power
full agencies in character building.
The athletics of the Academy are
splendid, and one can take just pride
in them. The evils of paid admis-
sions are avoided, professionalism is
unknown, and everybody takes part in
athletics to a greater or less degree.
The brigade, while it watches the de-
velopment of the first team with keen
interest and supports it in its contests
as one man, does not leave sport to
the first team alone. l doubt whether
there is an institution in this country
where the number of scrub and class
teams is so proportionately great. Of
the harmfulness of particular branch
es of sport | have nothing to say.
That is matter for medical experts
to decide. What / DO wish to bring
out are these: Competition with
outside teams increases the intere st in
athle tics for the rank and file. Ath-
letic sport brings out qualities essen
tial to military leadership, for the
records of the past few years show
man after man of whom it can be
truly said that athletics brought out
all his qualities of leadership.
To sum up there is fruitful field
awaiting developme MT in the matter
of raising the entrance requirements;
the need is for a broader course,
with specialization later; practical
work should be more practical; a
more extended application of respon-
sibility and privilege would bridge
the chasm between undergraduate and
graduate, and the existing evils of
the present system of reporting
should be changed.
In conclusion, | cannot help speak
ing of the sense of power and poise
one feels one has attained as the re-
suit of ole's training at the Naval
Academy. Here | am bordering on
things that one does not speak about.
There are priceless possessions that
one cherishes, but never mentions.
After all, the four years have been
rood, not always pleasant, but well
worth the struggle.
fConcluded !