Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-07-02
WHERE IS THE FAULT
ISH WITH THE SYSTEM"
Or Midshipmen at the Naval
Academy? Col. ThompsOn's
Letter.
GIVES RISE TO EDITORIAL.
Newspaper Comment in the Naval
Academy Dope Academy
Not Nursery Of ScrupulOus
Or Sensitive Homer"
From the Baltimore Sun. J


The Fault With the Naval Academy
or with the Midshipmen2" says
"In a letter TO the New York Even
inr Post. Mr.. Robert Mears Thompson.
graduate of the Naval Academy in
1865, who has maintained deep interest
in the institution ever since. though he
resigned from the service in 1871,
makes an admission which seems 90
throw a good deal of light on existing
conditions at the Academy.
Referring TO what the midshipmen
call dope or advance hints tending to
give them an idea of the lines which eX
aminations will cover. he says:
" IL has long been the custom
of instructors az the Naval Acad-
emy. and | believe at West Point.
from time to time.to call the atten-
ton of the pupils to certain parts
of their course deemed TO be OF inn
portance From time to time they
have prepared papers which have
been given to the midshipmen and
which the midshipmen call dope
sheets The object of their teach
ing is. of course, 20 impress upon
the minds of the pupils such intr
as they consider especially fmpoTt-
ant In the nature of things, when
the time for examination CONES
many of these points must be In
cluded in the examination papers.
L. the result of the teaching. in
cluding the method referred to.
has been TO give the pupils clear
idea of these points they will
pass the examination with a good
record Of course, to such prac-
tice as this there is not only no oh
lection, but, on the contrary, IL
should meet with the approval of
everyone. When. however, the
midshipmen obtain actual advance
copies of the examination papers
themselves. ~hch they can do only
through some unfair or unGcrhanG
method. the situation is entirely
different-it is 1ishonoraDle in the
extreme
This, coming from graduate of
1893. indicates two things: First, that
the dope method has been i'm exist
ence at the Naval Academy for nearly
half a centlrv; secondly, that it has
existed with official knowledge and
sanction. Unquestionably there is
wide moral difference between secur-
ing suggestions along general lines
from instructors and securing surTep-
titiously opies OF actual examinations.
But the point is that the custom of
furnishing exa ninat'on dope has pre-
vailed for many years and that il has
ben thought necessary to tolerate what
the results show may lead TO grave
abuses. So far as we are informed.
what is considered proper dope at the
Academy has no acknowledged place
IN the course CT instruction at the ad-
ing universities ana colleges. Intclii-
gent students inevitably receive point
ers as to the things considered es-
pecially important IN their work. hrt
they receive them by paying attention
TO the emphasis laid on these thinee in
open e. tuTes. and they DO not. a. a
rule. rely on tips as 20 the probable
character Of the examination. but on
hard study Of their classroom subjects.
why should there be a different
rule a. the Academy? Evidently from
what an oil graduate such as Mr..
Thompson says. there Is and there has
neen for many yraGs. Is n because too
much is crowded into the four year
course az Anapolis2 The midshipmen
not only have intricate and difficult
studies 10 master. but they have drills
and technical professional duties which
demand part of their time. Did the
legitimate and officially recognized
dope method of assistance arise from
the recognition of the fact that too
much was being attempted in the four
years, and IN the belief that the mid
shipmen are entitled to helping
hand over particularly rough places?
We do not pretend to know. but we
ask a question naturally suggested by
evidence which shows that the dope
mehtod of assisting the midshipmen
has been well-established custom for
nearly fifty years.
THAT it is inherently dangerous
method is demonstrated by present dc
velopments. 1t would seem to be ex-
tremely difficult to draw the line be-
tween what is called legitimate dope
and dishonorable dope. All sorts of
dope seem to have been floating
around in Annapolis waters. The mid
shipmen should have known the differ-
ence between the two. say their critics.
But If they have been taught to regard
themselves as entitled TO dope by
ong-established custom. the tenipta-
tion to ask 30 questions and TO accent
everything that came their way was
logical il not a defensible step.
we cannot comfort ourselves with
the assumption that only a small num-
Der of midshipmen are affected BY the
charges under investigation. II the wit
nesses who have testified are TO be be-
lieved. so or 30 per cent. of some Of
the classes ate of the tree OF advanced
knowledge and lad at least shrewd
suspicious as 10 what they were eat
ing Nor. if this be true. are we nee
essarily driven to the other extreme of
Wholesale condemnation If low and
loose standards obtain at the Academy.
there must be a cause, and that cause
must be found in the system.
We are not defending any guilty
midshipman. The acts charged against
them. if not palIiated by mitigating cir
cumstances. go to the very root of man
hood and morality. Nor would we al
low political influence to save them