Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1918-11-09
NAVAL ACADEMY'S
MISSION At END
OF PRESENT WAR
Development Into Greatest Naval
University In The World, Like
ly To Be Accomplished
SOME ORGANIZATION
HAS BEEN MAINTAINED
Work May Be Co-ordinated With
That Of Great Naval Labora-
tory For Experiment

That steps will be taken immediate
ly after the close of the war TO re-
vive and expand the post-gradua.e e
work which had been done at the
Naval Academy, is regarded as GER
tain The details of this work have
not been discussed, but the shell OF
an organization has been maintained
and the plan to erect a special build
ing for this department has taken
shape and site for it selected OF
special interest is the erection of the
$2,000,000 labratory for experiment
and research, which the Naval Ad-
visory Board has recommended to be
placed at Annapolis. Work is expect
ed to begin on this at the close of the
war, and when completed, it will have
uate work at the Academy.
1t is not too much to say that the
Naval Academy was in a fair way to
develop into a great naval university
when the United States entered the
war, and it was found necessary to
devote its organization and efforts to
prepare a greater number in the ac-
tual essentials for service. This has
been done by shortening the course
for the midshipmen, and greatly in
creasing their number, and by train
ing a large body of Naval Reserves
to be temporary officers in the Navy.
When this work is completed and the
institution returns to normal lines,
progress to be along lines of special
and advanced naval instruction.
The postgraduate work at the Acad-
emy was a development rather than
the expression of a worked-out plan.
In 1911, a few graduates of the Acad-
emy were ordered back for some spe-
cial instruction at the Academy, the
course being part of that which grad
yates had previously taken in other
institutions of learning. Each year,
a larger number was sent to Annapo-
lis, additional instructors were Sc
cured for the department, and the
scope of the work was advanced. 1t
was the practice to conduct classes
in certain lines for period here, and
then send them to technical depart
ments of other institutions for further
instruction.
When the postgraduate school
closed last year, classes were being
conducted for young Naval officers
who were specializing in marine en-
gineering, naval construction, civil
engineering and ordnance. Those
taking the marine engineering course,
continued it at Columbia; the class in
naval construction at the Massachus-
etts Institute of Technology; civil en-
gineering at Rensselaer, Polytechnic
Institute, and ordnance at various in
stitutions and plants. At that time,
here was a class of 81 at the Naval
Academy, Is at Columbia; Is at NJ. 1.
T., and IL at different institutions,
navy yards and engineering plants.
Commander John Halligen, Jr., u.
S. N, was head of the postgraduate
department when the United States
entered the war. There were six spe-
cial instructors, all civilians, and a
clerical force. Comdr. Halligan has
been assigned to other duty, and
Comdr. Joseph l.. Hileman, head OF
the department of marine engineer
ing and naval construction, has been
assigned to head the postgraduate de-
partment also. The clerical organi-
zation was retained, and the instruc-
tors assigned temporarily to different
departments However, only two,
Profs., Ralph E. Toot and Leonard A.
Doggett, still remain at the Academy.
One of the great advantages in To-
eating the experimental and research
labratory at Annapolis will be the
practicability of the postgraduate
students making use of the equipment
of the labratory and receiving instruc-
tion from the experts who will be at
tached to it. In fact, the new labra-
tory would be the labratory of the
postgraduate department, and through
those who completed the course. the
work of the labratory would be dis
seminated in the Navy.
Lines of work to be the subject Of
the investigations of the new labra-
tory are set out in the act providing
for it and indicates how closely it
would naturally keep in touch with
the postgraduate work of naval off,
Ger. They are: Gun erasion, tor
pedo motive power, the gyroscope,
submarine guns, protection against
submarines, torpedo and mine attack,
improvement in submarine attach
ments, improvement and development
in submarine engines, storage batter
les and propulsion, aeroplanes and
aircraft, improvement in radio install
lations and all other subjects con-
nected with the development OF any
naval matter.