New-York tribune., 1916-02-26
Companies Eagerly Grab
u. S. Trained Men, Re-
Gently "Plucked."
CANADA TRIED TO GET
UPPER CLASS FLUNKS
Dismissed Cadets Father Tells
of Job Offers-Lieutenant's
Rank DOminion's Bait.

Less than two weeks ago eighty-two
midshipmen at the United States Naval
Academy were "plucked" for alleged de-
ficiencies in studies. Immediately the
arms and ammunition makers struck
the trails Of the dismissed midshipmen.
To-day the greater percentage Of the
Young men, most Of them possessing a
highly technical training, received at
the expense Of the government, are en-
ployed in the munition factories.
Philip NJ. Daab, OF 1911 Bloomfield
Street. Hoboken, was one Of the men
dropped from the Naval Academy rolls.
He was "unsat" in mechanics and was
ore of the $50 middies who were first
reported to have funked. The number
was later reduced to eighty-two, be-
cause, il is declared, Secretary Daniels
secretly lowered the passing mark
from $50 in the cases Of the l4S stu
dents retained at the Academy. Mr..
Daniels has denied changing the rating.
A call at young Daab's home yester-
dav afternoon revealed that the dis
missed midshipman had gone to Con-
necticut to investigate an offer BY
large manufacturer OF cartridges. HIS
father. Philip Daab. former member OF
the New Jersey Legislature and for
seven years president of the Hoboken
School Board. talked of his sons dis
missal.
Munitions Firms Take Men.
"The funking Of three seniors and
nineteen juniors, Of which class my son
was a member, besides being unprece-
dented is at this unsettled time in ma
tional affairs a matter of dismay,' said
the senior Daab.
These midshipmen plucked by Jo-
sephus Daniels have been Immediately
retained or their services solicited by
ammunition makers, who were quick TO
avail themselves of product highly
trained at enormous expense 10 the
government. II costs the navy S3O,OOO
TO graduate a boy from Annapolis. The
action Of Secretary Daniels IN dropping
nearly one hundred men at TINS time,
when the demand for trained men IN
the navy was never so Imperative Is
astounding ,
Midshipman Daab was football,
basketball and baseball man at Annap-
oils. His rank as student was high.
In the midyear mechanics examination
he fell 0.O7 below the standard de.
manded by the academic board, OF
which Secretary Daniels is head. lie
was permitted with others whose marks
were not accepted to resign, but he re
fused. continuing with MS brigade ana
attending classes. On February 10 ne
was dropped.
secret session Of the academic
board is said TO be the means by when
the number of failures was reduced
from 230 to 81. Midshipmen who failed
in two or three subjects were retained.
Canada Sought Middies.
According to those in close touch
with affairs at Annapolis, week be-
fore the examination Secretary Daniels
secretly lowered the passing marks IN
several subjects. Middies fortunate
enough TO fail in the marked down
studies were not dismissed.
Since the dismissal of the eighty
two cadets it has been freely rumored
that a repetition OF the "gougng
scandal of a year ago, when several
students were dropped from Annapolis
after an investigation for cheating at
examinations, might have occurred mad
not the authorities hushed 1t. At the
recent February exams" thirty-iive
plebes were detected with data con-
cealed in their log books.
Retention Of dismissed naval stu
dents by munitions manufacturers be-
gan last fall, when Midshipman II. j.
Toombs was forced to quit because OF
eye trouble Shortly afterward Mid
shipman A. s. King went 10 see girl
instead of attending chapel and he
was allowed 20 leave. The Remington
Arms Company Immediately employed
both men az salary said TO have eX-
ceeded 500 month. When the recent
lot were dropped by the Secretary OF.
the Navy their services were bid for by
several manufacturers. The training
received in the first two years at An
napolis is said TO be most valuable
from the technical standpoint.
That the Canadian government was
eager TO enlist the plucked men of the
upper classes was learned yesterday
by The Tribune. The dismissed
juniors and seniors, totalling twenty
two. were approached indirectly by a
lieutenant commander at Annapolis,
who informed them that should they
desire to join Canadian regiments he
could assure them the rank of lieuten
ants. SO far as could be learned. none
accepted the offer.
Appeals TO Secretary Daniels to re-
ins4te the dismissed midshipmen or
to reopen the examination have been
refused. Because of the number of
mddies affected it is thought likely
that Congress may take action. Sen
ator James +. MARITIME, of New Jersey,
interested himself in the case of Mid
shipman Daab, but could not move the