The Republican journal., 1916-03-23
Save the Middies!

10 THE EDIJOh Vt AnEI oOoAA
began this article because of grlet ana
Indignation over the decision OF pima au-
thorities of the Navy to tarnish the rec
ord of the noble Youths of the Academy
classes. who have worked for years and
cost the Government heap of money In
order to prepare themselves to take
good care of and to fight in Uncle Sam
Navy.
was a cadet midshipm an at Annapo-
lis Academy over fifty years ago, and
the mental work there at that time was
much less than now. l had reasonably
good health, and had the culture and d.
ploma of a New England High school.
Our class was 107 youths, who were d.
vided into five sections. was No. IA
of the first section, third class. We
galloped through Davies Algebra. &C.
ometry, Trigonometry, Physics, Che M
istry, Gunnery, etc, like blue-rlbboned
steeds. 1t was orders to put out all
lights at 10 o. m. 1t was difficult-im-
possibe-to many to get lessons proper
Nv for recitation for the next day. l
wasn't numbskull, and could not. 1t
was the same as with the horse who
could not win the race-''The distance
was too great for the time.'
So surrounded my table after taps no
o. IN with bedclothes, illuminated be-
meath with candles, and sat on the floor
and studied. My room mate crouched
beneath another canopy, and IN many
other rooms cadets were camped like
Apache Indians, trying to master the
hard studies until two. three and even
four o'clock in the morning.
The consequences of this fearful strug-
gle destroyed health and many cadets
fell out by confusing examinations and
failure of vital powers. was seriously
i'll over year, but, recovering, re-enter-
ed the service and served as an officer
until the end of the Civil War.
think it an outrage upon the many
midshipmen at the Naval Academy to
dismiss them from the service, after
several years of conscientious and fierce
study and training. because they have
not passed examination in one or two
branches to suit the unfeeling, exacting,
rigorous requirements of certain profess
sors, who, if Naval graduates, could not
pass the exams. demanded In any class
except their own.
The professors there, as in all colleges,
are so stuffed with the apothegms of the
branches they teach, that they exact
from the overwhelmed, harrassed cadet
knowledge equivalent to their own, and
do not hesitate to blast the future of
youths because in the excitement and
strain of examination they stagger over
tricky questions, or do not recognize the
deeply planned treachery along the firing
line.
Too much education dulls the intellect
and lessons physical power. Too much
is exacted from cadets at Annapolis.
The Pons Assinorum and the Binomial
Theorem are of little use on shlpboard.
The old heroes of the Navy gained their
knowledge of ship and guns and sea on
the heaving deck while cruising over the
world. Remember their deeds. Hobson,
Gushing, Schley and Dewey were Anna
polls taught, but were not renowned for
'bookishness.
During the Civil War, in over 900 ships,
we had 1850 regulars and $3.50 volunteers
from civil life, the latter mostly officers
of our merchant marine, which whltened
every sea. They were, like the old fell
lows, practical sailors and navigators,
who soon mastered gunnery and made
our Navy efficient and terrible to the
enemy. Our victories would have been
fewer and our blockade failure without
them.
The exactlons of entrance examina-
tons, and the semi ANNALS and fir ais of
most high class institutions have reached
a terrific height under the fostering care
and management of the vain profess
sors. Entrance exams. now are more
exacting and severe than graduating
requirements We're fifty years ago.
AS consequence. the best men, those
promising for the various and severe
duties of after life, are thrown aside,
and armies of specialized, weak -chested,
stoop- shouldered, dyspeptic molycod
dies are folsted upon the community to
start at the top and faint at the bottom
of the ladder of life.
Some exceptionally robust. athletic,
country bred, bright, miliha-tralned,
fine fellows survive the fierce struggle
in mental development and physical
training in colleges and the Service
Academies. How many able men have
been MinnoWed out and lost to the Navy
by the nnwlse, cruel methods of An
napolis Naval Academy, many of whom
are leaders in business, trades, manu-
features, politics, science, ETC., can be
determined by examining the annual
shrinkage Of classes. Those who remain
in the Navy and reach the grade of Rear
Admiral count about one dozen.
In 1865 there were five on the active
list and seven on the retired. Of the
107 good fellows in the 1858 class, there
are only five of US awaiting taps.
The Naval Academy should have a
thorough investigation and reorganiza-
ton by humane, experienced, practical
Naval officers, unintiuenced by Naval
Cabals and meddlesome. ignorant poll
ticians. The Secretary of the Navy and
a staff of Annapolis graduates should be
selected, who know ship from keelson
to truck, to watch and control and cher
ish the Academy, and educate sympa-
thetically and efficiently the ambitious
cadets.
The unfitness or incapacity of cadet
is soon determined, and the Staff should
have control, and the professors should
not have the power of ordering dismissal
or resignation. To be ''biged' from
class is lifelong disgrace for most
cadets. To be forced to resign or to be
put back year is terrible punishment
for anyone.
1t is unjust and cruel to injure a
youths future because of failure in one
or two studies at examination; waste
of Government money and serious det-
riment to the Naval Service. | read in
sad editorial in the Boston Herald that
this year 800 cadets are found deficient
and II of the first class will have to re-