The Washington herald., 1916-02-08
BY r. II. JOHNS.

The dismissal OF eighty-two mdshipmen
from Annapolis will doubtlessly be the
result of the report of the Academic Board
which was received at the Navy De-
partment yesterday. The Academic
Board recommends that they be dropped
on account of the deficiencies in their
studies and the Secretary could retain
them only by revising the regulations for
the academy.
In 1911 Secretary Of the Navy Meyer
modified the prescribed rules OF the AK
animation to prevent the dropping of a
number of midshipmen who had failed in
their studies but neither the President
nor Secretary Daniels have shown any
disposition to make such changes in the
regulations at Annapolis. The President
having been a college professor he is un-
derstood to be inclined to raise the stand
ards of the examinations for both of the
academies instead of lowering them.
In discussing the cases the Secretarv
expressed the belief that the abolition OF
the dope system is responsible in a
great degree for the large number OF
failures this year. He declared that the
examinations had been practically the
same as in former years, but that the
miLshipmen were deprived OF "crutches'
which the investigation of last summer
developed had been employed extensively.
In former years the number of mid
shipmen dropped scarcely ever exceeded
forty. About half of the failures this
years were in the fourth class and the
remainder equally distributed among the
other classes
The Secretary said that there would be
no objection to the reappointment of any
Of the midshipmen who had been dropped
II they were not over age.
Among the thousands OF suggestions
that have come to the War Department
since the public has takenn an interest
in the army and the question of national
defense, is one from a chiropodist. He
thinks that chiropodists should be given
an official status in the army, so that the
feet of the officers and men can be taken
care of in scientific manner.
The suggestion from the Chiropodist
will be taken more seriously by the au-
thorities in the War Department than
many that have come from more pre-
tentous sources. For years army officers
have been seriously concerned with the
care of soldiers feet. The ability to
march and be at the important positions
in a campaign or battle depends upon
This is as important as the ability to
shoot, as the general efficiency of an
army depends largely upon its mobility.
Some years ago the War Department
took up the proposition of developing a
perfect marching shoe. The Munson
board was appointed. and after two
years of experiments and tests developed
the shoe that Is now issued to the army
The Munson board started at the fac
tory and studied the shoe problem until
the footwear was issued to the soldiers.
One Of the most interesting experiments
was that which was conducted at Fort
Leavenworth. Three companies OF SOL
dicrs were detailed for four months to
march under the direction Of the Nunson
board. The shoes vera fitted on the SOL
diers by the board, and after long
marches the soldiers feet. both with the
shoes on and wIthiut the shoes, were
N-raycd. Chemical examinations were
made of the effect of different. types OF
lining for shoes upon the feet and every
effort was made to fit the shoes to the
feet instead OF fitting the feet to the
shoes
Since the adoption Of the new NIunson
shoe by the army quite number of
private concerns have fashioned their
shoes after the army shoe. The question
naturally arises as to whether the War
Department should go a step further in
this effort to increase the ability of the
soldier TO take long marches without
discontinue and employ chirupodists
Col Guy l.. Edic. Medical Corps. re-
ported at the War Departme lent yester-
day.
Carpenter W. Z. Fitzgerald, of the New