Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-05
EEKPEACE.bAS|S
At NAVAL ACADEMY
Steps Taken Looking toa Re-
turn to Pre-War Con-
ditions.
FOUR YEARS FOR COURSE

Special Dispatch to The Star
ANNAPOLIS, Md, January AIM
portant steps have been taken with
in the past two weeks looking to-
ward return to conditions which pre-
vailed at the Naval Academy prior to
the entrance of this country into the
war. The academy, however. will not
resume in every respect the conditions
of ante-war days. In many ways
there will be expansion and develop
ment. The number of midshipmen has
been increased permanently, it is be-
lieved, while postgraduate education
will be conducted along more extern
sive lines than before.
A definite step toward the return to
the normal is in the fact. just an
nounced, that there will be no further
training of reserve officers at the
academy The present class-the
fifth-consisting of about $50 officers.
will complete it's ffteen-week course
on the Goth of the present month, as
will twenty-three holders of tempo
rary commissions as assistant naval
constructors. These will be the last
of their status at the academy for the
present.
$500 Officers Trained.
With the completion of their course
by these young men, the academy
will complete a work which has been
Of the utmost Importance during the
reserve have been given an intensive
course here. and they have been fit
ted for duty of every character in the
Navy, holding temporary commissions
in the regular service. While here,
they have been quartered in tempo
rary wooden structures, which may
now be removed. AS a rule they have
attended classes with the midship-
men. SO that only a few extra OFF,
GERS were needed to carry on the
work.
Secretary Daniels stated a few days
ago that he wishes to restore the
four years course for midshipmen
as promptly as possible. He has all
the data on the subject from the
academy, and will announce his deci-
sion as to procedure shortly. While
the course has been three years, the
simplest way to restore the former
order would be to pass the present
third class into the second class
when the first class graduates in
June. Under this plan, there would
be no graduating class in 1890
Has Done Advanced Work.
The present third class has. how
ever. done a considerable portion of
the advanced work. and it is possible
that it will be allowed to graduate
after three years, or that it may
be graduated some time between
June, 1920. and June. 1921. The mat
ter is entirely in the hands of Secre-
tary Daniels. but his decision in the
matter is expected promptly. as it
will be necessary to regulate the
scholastic work of the academy in ac-
cordance with it.
Secretary Daniels has also been fur
nished with much of the data in con-
nection with the reopening of the
postgraduate department. He has
sent for additional Information to
other stations. 1t will be necessary to
decide upon suitable person to head
the department. name the necessary
additional instructors. arrange the
courses and fix the size of the classes
and to arrange for the detail of young
officers as students. All of these mat
ters are being considered by the Navy
Department.
To Extend POSTGRADUATE Work.
The postgraduate department was
doing work on large scale when
the war made 1t necessary to concen-
trate the training on the essentials.
1t was constantly developing and en-
larging it's scope, and covering
greater portion of the postgraduate
training that had been done else
where. 1t is now the purpose of the
department to continue the develop
ment along these lines and make it
possible to do even a larger proper
ton of this higher training at the
academy.
Closely connected with the future
of the postgraduate department is
the proposed location of the great
naval experimental station and labo-
ratory here. 1t is intended that many
of the experts of the station will take
part in the instruction of the student
officers, while the latter will be able
to do research work in the laboratory.
portion of the course that has had
to be done in other places.