The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-08-20

tanned it is the manifest duty of
congress and the secretary of war to bring about
all changes necessary to MT the institution to It's
high public purpose
Representative Fred A. Britten of Illinois in
troduced resolution requesting that certain in
formation be furnished. the house by the
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
answer to DIR. Eliots criticisms. In view of
the supreme Importance Of West Point as an
American institution summary of Secretary
Bakers defense is well worth printing.
Dr. Eliot's criticisms are as follows
I 1. mo American school or college intended for
youths between IS and 20 years of age should
accept such ill-prepared material West Point
accepts.
q mo school or college should have a COM
pletely prescribed curriculum
8. mo school college should have its teach
ing done almost exclusively by recent graduates
of the same school or college who not teach
ers and who short terms.
4. 1.-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, new 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 buck were
very mischievous all through the actual fighting
and remain a serious impediment to the efficiency
of the 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
nent, competitive examinations. entrance exam
nations. etc. He then says in part:
From 1888 to 1915 the total number of cand
dates who have presented themselves for admis
sion to West Point has been 17919 OF these
1852 have been admitted OF the residue APO
were rejected for admission by the academic
board; 2746 failed to report 921 rejected by
the medical board; 573 rejected by the joint
action of the academic board and the medical
board; sos passed, for whom no vacancies existed ;
1913 failed to complete the examinations; 1888 de-
cined appointments after completing the exami
nation and So appointments were Cancelled
1T thus appears that the process of selection is
countrywide; that the requirements, from purely
academic standpoint, adequately high and
that the standards rigidly enforced.
Taking American secondary education as 1t is
for rich and poor, in the city and in the country
east and west l 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
form excellence could be obtained by sectional or
class selection, surely the exchange would be a
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
fems Of collegiate education. But he SAYS 1t
cannot be conceded that West Point has a fixed
tnelastic and unchanging curriculum. He men
t,ons the appointment of board of investiga-
fion in 1917, and says 1t is only in con-
nnung series of Investigations with the view of
adapting the instruction to the demands which