Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-07
CAPT. EBERLE'S TASK
ONFROUS AND DIFFICULT
Special Duties Which Await New
Supt. When He Assumes
Charge Sept. 20.
MUCH TO BE DONE AT ACADEMY
Old Traditions a Menace---SpeciaI
Situations at the Institution at
Present Make Superintendent's
Post Difficult.


Post Difficult.
The responsibilities of a superin
tendent of the Naval Academy are
neavy at best, hut the special situation
at this institution at present will make
the work of Capt Edward w. Eberle.
who will assume charge on September
20 particularly onerous and difficult.
y The special tasks which await the
new superintendent are:
1. Giving effect to the various rec
concentrations made by the court of in
quiry which investigated matters re-
lating to the conduct of examinations
and recitations, which report was ap-
proved by the Secretary of the Navy
?. Taking furtrer action in the cas-
es of nearly nine hundred members of
the class which graduated last year and
the present first class. who were shown
by the evidence produced by the court
Of inquiry 10 have had advance infor-
nation as to the examinations IL mod
ern languages.
3. Taking steps TO determine the
extent of hazing at the institution and
to SUPPRESS the practice.
In connection with the Grst Of these
matters, it viii be remembered that the
/ court reached the conclusion that the
whole system of indicating in some way
the character of the examinations in
the different subjects was inadvisable.
This means that a radical change must
be made in the system of instruction
at the Naval Academy.
In most departments 1t mas been the
practice to devote about one month Of
the four constituting q term to review
of the matters which are regarded as
most impor ant, and which. tn mid
shipmen naturally infer, viii bet he sub
iect most dwelt upon in the examina-
ton.
This practice is at The bottom of the
dope" system which figured so large
ly in the proceedings of the now histor-
ic court Sometimes dope" amounted
to nothing more than the conclusions
the middies would reach as to the ex-
animation from the points most dwelt
upon in the classroom. At other times,
according TO the testimony, y,iEstructors
would point out certain portions of the
subject which it would be advisable for
the members of the class to study. and
n other times would sc SO far as to in
dicate certain limitations which would
include tee examination.
One OF the most important recon-
mendatians of the court was that the
instruction should be of such a nature
thot the average nidshipman could
pass the eXamination in the subject
without anv sCecial help. Other rec
cmmeadaticns we're not so radical. The
changes in thu methods Of preparing
examination papers and guarding them
vii he pJt in effect without difficulty
and the sections can easily be arrang-
ed alphabetically instead of according
to class tanding.
In this work S perinterdent Eherle
viii probably have the helt of the 'aca-
demic aid" an official suggested in the
report of the court 1t is rumored that
this position is to he filled by Capt
George r. Clark, formerly commandant
of midshipmen here. and more lately in
charge of the educational system for
the enlisted men of the navy. OF ex-
| treme interest is the direction of the
| department that a further investiga-
tion be conducted into the cases of the
large number of midshipmen who were
shown to nave had possession of con.
siderable advapcc information as TO the
examination in modern languages
| One of the important lines cf investi.
cation persued by the court was for the
purpose of developing the facts as K
| the distribution of the advance infor
nation Nearly every member of th'
two upper classes who was on the wit
ness stand stated that he believed 81
or 80 per cent.of his classmates had ;
| substantial portion of the examination
and witnesses named a large proper
tion of the members of each class a.
having this information. The eyidenci
brought before the court never fully eX
planned the widespread distribution o
advance information ON the moderl
language examinations. According I,
the evidence, members of the first ant
second classes only secured access 4
the information mailed to Midshipmal
Moss at half past nine on the evening
before the examination. yet nearly tn
whole of the two classes-over thre
hu1dTed midshipnen in all--had tn
| greater part of the information Tn
indications point clearly to some othe
source o. information, and it is mos
likely that the starting point was on
of those occasions when efforts wer
made to burglarize the department, a
the testimony showed.
Since the adjournment of the court
there have been some very broad hint
that the court had been at times on tn
ledge of some revelations along this lin
which would have proved much NOR
startling than any of the evidence the
was secured, even the testimony q
young Reagle If. in following the sug
gestion of the court, another tribuls
is constituted and goes into the mat
ter thoroughly, there IS a possibility {
developments that Will sti- the insttU
tion fipeply