Evening star., 1933-12-21
.RITCHIE PROTESTS
NAVY SCHOOL SHIFT
Annapolis Would Lose $5O0,OOO
/ With Removal of Grad
uate Unit.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, December I'll
telegram to President Franklin y:
Roosevelt protesting most respectfully"
against the proposed consolidation OF
| the Coast Guard and the United States
! Navy, and particularly against the re-
inoval of the Navy Post Graduate School
here to New London, Conn.
The Governor Joined the fight now
being waged by local civic organizations
to retain the Post Graduate School IN
Annapolis.
David S. jenkins, chairman OF the
Community Service Committee OF the
Rotary Club and publisher Of the Eve
ming Capital, said that removal OF the
institution would take pay roll eStl-
mated at from 100000 to $l,000O 600
out of the city and State and leave ap-
proximately 200 vacant homes in An
Tnapolis and nearby communities.
Gov. Ritchie protested the removal OF
the postgraduate school to New London
''or to any other locality" His tele-
gram continued: "1t seems to me that
these two splendid agencies OF the
G,American Government should be Kept
Iseparate and intact, but / am partlcu--
larly and intimately concerned and
alarmed about the situation IN An
napoiis which would result from the
transfer elsewhere of the postgraduate
school.
This would necessitate the removal
s,of about 200 officers and their families,
Who are now a very vital part Of An
,napolis life, and who have invested
their savings in property here in the
belief that their permanent livelihood
would be in this community.
The proposal would make vacant the
homes of these men and their families
and would add to the ranks of the
unemployed a considerable number OF
ipeople who now work at the poSt-gradu-
sate school 1t is estimated that the
financial loss to the business life Of
ANNAPOLIS would be half million dol
lars year.
"The Naval Academy and the Post
Graduate School comprise, as you know,
a very large part of the life of An
hapolis, and this proposal would con-
stitute a serious loss and setback In
the welfare and interests OF the city.
] venture the earnest hope that you
will weigh these serious consequences
before giving the proposal your ap-
.proval and l will be deeply grateful for
your consideration of these very i'm
portant factors" The Post Graduate
School at present has an enrolment of
228 student officers and q faculty Of
~ civilian and five naval officers; the
| student officers live in Annapolis. Bay
Ridge, Round Bay and other commun-
,tties near the city.
The Local Civitan Club. through its
president, Elmer NJ. Jackson, jr., In a
Telegram t0 I've President declared that
,Sfhe removal Of the school would
Nwreck the economic structure" of An
hapolis. The organization points out
that the city would be thrown back to
the status 1t held "15 years ago" and
Shat "it would indeed prove tragic"
I'VE humbly ask your consideration
and help in saving Annapolis, which,
after ali, is the very heart and pulse of
the Navy" the telegram concluded.
The local groups have communicated
with Representative Stephen w. Gam
brill, Democrat, of Maryland and
United States Senator Millard e. Tyd-
ings, Democrat, Of Maryland In their
effort to retain the school here.