Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-08-19


congress and the secretary of to bring about
oil changes necessary to fit the institution to its
high public purpose.
Representative Fred A. Britten of Illinois in
troduced resolution requesting that certain in
formation be furnished the house by the war
department. Representative julius Kahn of
California chairman of the committee on military
affairs wrote to- Secretary of War Newton d.
Baker concerning this resolution. Secretary Baker
took this opportunity to write Representative
Kahn long communication, which Is In purpose
and effect formal defense of West Point and
an answer to DR.. Eliot's criticisms. In view of
the supreme Importance of West Point as an
American institution, a summary of Secretary
Bakers defense is well worth printing.
DR. Elot's criticisms as follows
/ 1 mo American school or college intended for
youths between 10 and 20 years of age should
accept such ill-prepared material as West Point
accepts
( g mo school college should have COM
pletely prescribed curriculum.
& "No school or college should have its teach
ing done almost exclusively by recent graduates
of the same school or college who are not teach
ers and who serve short terms.
4. "The graduates of West Point during the
World War, both in the field and in business
offices, did not escape, with few exceptions, from
the methods which they had been taught and
drilled in during peace The methods Of fighting
were in the MAN, and the methods of sup
ply and account ought to have been new. The
red-tape methods prescribed to the American
Regular Army officers of passing the DUCK were
very mischievous all through the actual fighting
and remain serious impeachment to the e1nclency
of the war department to this day.
In answering criticism No l. Secretary Baker
sets forth the methods Of admission to west
Point by congressional and presidential appoint
ment, competitive examinations, entrance exam
nations etc. He then says, in part:
"From 1888 to 1915 the total number OF candl-
dates who have presented themselves for admis-
sion TO West Point has been 17,9l9. Or these
1852 have been admitted. OF the residue 4'--o
were rejected for admission by the academic
board; . TAG failed to report 92l were rejected ny
the medical board 573 were rejected py the JONI
action of the academic board ana the meulcal
board; Cos passed, for whom no vacancies existed
19S failed to complete the examinations; IoS oe-
cned appointments after competing lhe eAaihi-
nation and SO appointments were Cancelled.
AFT fins appears that the process Of selection is
countrywide: that the requirements, from purely
academic standpoint, are Adequately hgh' anu
that the standards are rigdly enforced.
"Taking American secondary education as 1t is,
for rich and poor in the city ana III the country
east and west, persuaded that no college,
drawing its students from wide geographical
area compares with West Point In the quality OF
the material which 1t receives, and If more uni
forn excellence could be obtained by sectional or
class selection, surely the exchange would be
had one for the national constituency when the
academy has always had
Al 70 criticism No. 2, Secretary Baker says he
aons NOT nttnch any value to any opinion he
might express as to the controversy between the
prescribed curriculum and the free elective sys-
TOMS OF collegiate education. But, he says, 1t
cannot he conceded that West Point has hxed'
,nelastic and unchanglng curriculum lie men
lions the appointment OF oonru oa t., rNo', con.
.,n,,,ng series of investigations with the view OF
aaaptinr tho instruction to the demands which