The Washington herald., 1921-05-28
POMERENE WANTS
TOiKNOW why ITO
MDDIES FLUNKED
Charges Instructors at
Annapolis Unjust and
Inefficient.

Senator Pomerene, Q1 onlo' mas
announced bis intention Of intro
ducing a resolution providing for
an invexigstfen of the methods of
instructionan the Annapolis naval
academy. Information would be
sought as to why -11o mitishipmen
"hunked out" in the March exami-
nations.
Methods of teaching at Annapo-
lis, Pomerene charged. are inefi-
cient and unjust to the students.
Instructors. he said. know little
about the subjects they are expected
to teach. and are unable to inform
students sufficiently to enable them
to pass examinations. Pomerene
would have the inquiry made by
three members of the senate, three
members of the house. and three
well-known educators
Provides for ReInstatement.
Discussion of Annapolis came up
in connection with an amendment
to the naval appropriations bill Of
fered by Senator Mcclellan. of Ten
nessee. which provides for the re-
nomination of mid dshipmen dismissed
for failing in their examinations
The senate adopted the amendment
Pomerene read into the record a
letter from william 3. thinner, of
Rochester. n. Y, a naval reserve
officer, citing the experience of his
nephew at the academy. thinner
said his nephew was dropped for
falling by two-tenths of a point to
pass in an examination in French.
The boy, according to thinner, was
an honor graduate from Rochester
high school. had passed all exami-
nations at the academy for three
years. and stood especially high in
navigation.
MILDLY Crtticizes Teachers.
Pomerene read another letter
from an unnamed midshipman pro-
testing against the dismissal of his
roommate.
Il could not make this an ofIicial
statement" the midshipman wrote.
because 7 would be dismissed from
the academy. However. cannot
hClp puN "Illt IllS IOT lnt
good of the institution. If you
knew how 'the teaching staff was
organized here you would be able
at once to put your finger on the
real trouble. The faculty is COM
posed of 300 instructors. Two
thirds of these are detached from
the feet to teach here for one or
two years. They are not selected
because they know anything about
a subject, but because they are due
for shore leave and want a good
billet"
The midshipman went on to say
that one of the instructors had ad-,
mitted he didn't know a d-n thing
about the subject" but would try
to be fair umpire between them
and the text
Killed by Point Of order.
An amendment to the naval bill
by Senator Pomerene, empowering
the President to suspend naval con-
struction for six months, pending
possible international disarma
ment agreement, was killed when
Senator Poindexter. in charge of the
DILL raised a point of order against
1t. which Vice-President Coolidge
sustained.
Poindexter said the right to 40
this should remain with congress.
An amendment by Senator King.
directing the secretary of the navy
to furnish detailed information
about naval bases, and make recon-
mendations for abandonment of
some. was adopted
Senator Hiram Johnson of Cali
fornia spoke in an effort to refute
the charges that the proposed naval
base at Alameda. for which the SEN
ate refused to appropriate $500, 900.
was real estate deal"