The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-08-21

I'll III
III - Now, West Point is en- institution
- of supreme national Importance. If
DIR. Eliot's criticisms can be sus-
tained, it is the manifest duty of
congress and the secretary of war to bring about
all changes necessary to t the institution to its
high public purpose.
Representative Fred A. Britten of Illinois in
troduced a 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 a long communication, which is in purpose
and effect a formal defense Of West Point and
an answer to DR.. Elot's criticisms In view of
the supreme importance of West Point
American institution, a summary of Secretary
Bakers defense is well worth printing.
DIR. EIiOt's criticisms are as follows:
i. mo American school college intended for
youths between IS and 20 years of age should
accept such ill-prepared material as West Point
accepts.
2 "No school or college should have a COM
pIeteIy prescribed curriculum.
3. ~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 1.-The graduates Of West Point during the
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 main, new and the methods of sup
ply and account ought to have been new. The
redtape methods prescribed to the American
Regular Army officers of passing the buck were
very mIschlevous all through the actual fighting
and remain serious impeachment to the efficiency
Of the war department. to this day.
In answering criticism No 1, 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 1893 to 1915 the total number of candl-
dates who have presented themselves for admis-
sion TO West Point has been 1919. OF these
Ss352 have been admitted OF the residue APO
were rejected for admission by the academic
board 2,746 failed to report 921 rejected by
the medical board; 573 were rejected by the joint
action of the academic board and the medical
board; Cos passed, for whom no vacancies existed;
1913 failed to complete the examinations; 1S8 de-
clined appointments after completing the exami-
nation, and So appointments were cancelled.
at thus appears that the process Of selection is
countrywide; that the requirements, from a purely
academic standpoint, are adequately high, and
that the standards are rigidly enforced.
Taking American secondary education as Il is,
for rich and poor In the city and In the country
east and west, l am persuaded that no college
drawing its students from a wide geographical
area compares with West Point In the quality of
the material which 1t receives. and If more uni
form excellence could be obtained by sectional or
class selection surely the exchange would be
bad for the national constituency which the
academy has always had"
As to criticism No. 2 Secretary Baker says he
does not attach any value to any opinion he
might express as to the controversy between the
prescribed curriculum and the free elective sys-
TENS of collegiate education. But, he says II
cannot be conceded that West Point has fixed,
IneIastic and unchangng curriculum. He men,
lions the appointment of a board Of investiga-
tion IN 1917 and says 1t is only one in con-
tInuing series of investigations with the view Of
adapting the instruction to the demands which