Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-08
Loss of Genius by Annapolis
May Be a Gain for Industry

Discipline must be enforced" con-
cede the American people, but they re-
greet that the electrical genius of the
nidShiprnan who was dismissed for
playing pranks on the Naval Academy
cannot be utilized in meeting the prob
lens Of war. 1t is at least maintained
that American industry needs that kind
Of recruit.
many irregularities Of late" records the
Dayton Daily News. THE elevator used
by the privileged first class men took
them TO the fourth floor when the
third-floor button was pressed and
lowered them to the first floor again
before they could get out. Corridor
lights glowed brightly q while and then
became suddenly dim. There was inter-
ference on the telephone lines. His
quarters had been made q sort Of con-
ming tower for the dormitory. A maze
OF wires radiated from the room where
the prankish midshipman could control
the electrical phenomena for the entire
wing. Discipline Is paramount In the
military service. There was nothing for
the officials to do but Gust the Joker.
To maintain the morale Of the Acad-
envy the Government must run the risk
Of losing the services of q potential
Edison. It couldn't consistently use
him, but industry may. II war Is as
definitely dead as we like to think it,
anyway, so much the better"
I'VE question the justice of giving
him the opportunity to resign" says
the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Surely, there Is some place in the
Navy where an electrical genius could
be greatly useful Mr.. Edison should be
asked to invite the youthful victim of
such strange discipline TO take part in
his next QUESTIONABLE party"
~
1.-THE young wizard was told to resign,
and has done So" says the New Bed
ford Standard. Probably that was the
only action that could be taken to pre-
serve peace in the Academy. So prank
some young man would be q disturb
ing factor in an Institution where dis
cipline Is necessarily strict. Yet it
seems a pity the Navy should let go Of
anybody with such talent. Under right
guidance, the special bent which led
him to play tricks might be directed
toward the perfection Of electrical de-
vices of military value. Instead Of play
ing practical Jokes he might be induced
to do things worth while"
Was his genius appreciated" asks a
making his own reply: "It was not. In
stead of encouraging and developing
such initiative, the Academy gave him
q run-out capsule. But the Army ought
to grab that chap and make him O sap
per-" The Columbus Ohio State Jour-
nal advises that Annapolis should have
taken that young man under its wing,
given him a laboratory and let him
work day and night" The State jour
genius out of school? We are told the
next war Is going to be one of brains
and genius. Our Chemical Warfare Serv-
ice and our munitions experts daily are
spending thousands of dollars expert
menting with devices and inventions
that will outgenius the enemy. We have
guns that will shoot and kill at rs miles
or further-in fact, as some one has re-
marked, maybe facetiously, by the time
Is the home address Of the enemy, then |
the gun can be pointed in that direction |
and the war will be well-nigh over. |
Then this lad who can control ele- |
vators, make them go up when they |
should 60 down; who can listen In with |
the aid of wires on all the telephone |
conversations going In and out Of the |
institution that trains young Americans |
for war!"
~
''In the process Of preparing our |
future naval commanders" observes the |
Baltimore Sun, ''the capacity to 1T |
safely into q disciplinary regime comes
first. An imagination that leads one /
outside of 1t Is a fatal flaw. It may /
also be that the fate Is most just. A /
young man who combines q fair for |
electricity with that for practical |
joking, of sort. can be an insult
ferable nuisance in any company. Yet, !,
with the art OF wmr becoming more and
more a matter Of tho. misdirection Of
scientific imagination, md with sue