The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-08-15
WORRY BECAUSE
CADETS NEEDED
At WEST POINT
AUTHORITIES ANXIOUS ON Ac-
= COUNT OF FAILURE or THE
CLASSES TO FILL.
REASONS ARE GIVEN
Chief of Which Appears to Have
Been the careessness Of Senator's.
Government Gives Good Education
and Maintains Pupils.

NSSI RUM UceduSc VI ldllulC W Sc
cure full quota of cadets for this
years first or "plebe" class. This is
not new condition at the military
academy, but this year the situation
is more serious than it has been be-
fore.
Recent reports from the military
academy show that, while the cadet
battalion now In camp numbers 615,
the class that entered this year is
still short about fifty. There was a
still larger shortage between the time
the congressional nominations were
due on March 4, asst, and the past
week, but this was made up partly
by a special examination held on July
1. From this examination eighteen
new cadets were secured, while 1OS
candidates and alternates failed.
Various reasons are assigned for
the failure to secure teh requisite
number Of new cadets each year The
military authorities assert that the
fault lies with the senator's and rep
|resentatiyes who have the nominal
ing power. Ina congress 1t Is assert
ed that the entrance examinations
are too strict In other quarters 1t
Is said that the attractions of mod
ern business life are too great, and
that young men are returning to the
more ermunerative commercial pur-
suits. A
In support ~ their contention that
the entrace examinations are too
strict, members of the house gave In
stances in a recent debate, of the
failure of candidates they had nomi-
mated, asserting that the examina-
ton in mathematics was too stiff.
The congressman also have contend
ed that at times the physical exam,
lination has ben of such character as
| to cause the rejection Of candidates,
although some of them had been ex.
amined by equally competent per-
SONS before they ventured to submit
themselves to West Point authori.
ties.
/ Answering the charges Of congress
men the military authorities assert
that the government at West Point
gives the young men a highly valua-
BILE special education and that candi'
date sshould be fully prepared to be
gin the course Of study that will 81
them for the commands in the army
"The government not only gives
these young men highly valuable
and special education during theil
lfour-year term, but it also maintains
them during that time" said a higf
loficer of the army today. There
fore the young men who are nominal
ed for the cadetshirs should be vel
Grounded before they attempt the ex
animation. We in the army do mo-
regard the examination as too strict
in view of the character of the edu
jcation given"
i Concerning the assertion that bus
iiness life Of the present day is more
attractive to the youth of the country
this same officer said that among thu
millions of young men in the country
there is alwayssa' certain nun,be
who have the military learning, ant
who from early boyhood ~-pire t.
enter West Point. se
1T, must be remembered that thu
majority of the candidates for Yves
Point come from the rural commuai
ties, and not from the large cities,
said this officer, "and sthatin few In
:tances have thes oboys, sixteen ant
seventeen years of age, had an oppor
tunity to find out about the remuncra
tons of commercial positions. There
fore any assertions that, the attrac
tions of commercial life Keep youni
men from West Point is not suscepti
ble of proof"
What the military authorities re
gard as the real reason for the fail
ure to recruit the entrance classes VI
to the required strength each year Il
the failure of senators and represen
tatives to make the nominations II
time for the regular annual examina
, tions.
, Senators and representatives d.
not know that they have the cadet
ships. at their disposal, or else the.
forget about them when they hav,
been notified az that ,fact." is the eS
plantation offered by military man
Lou Ahe Trouble Starts