Evening star., 1938-05-27
WEST POINT BILL
DELAYED IN HOUSE
Measure to Allow D. c. More
Cadets Bottled Up
in Committee.

Despite its approval by the Senate.
the War Department and the Budget
Bureau, the bill to increase by four
the number of candidates appointed
to the West Point Military Academy
by the District Commissioners is
bottled up in the House Military Az
fairs Committee.
The purpose of the pill is to give
the District something nearer parity
with the States in the appointment
of the cadets The present inequity
was frankly recognized. by the War
Department and the Senate.
The bill, sponsored in the Senate
by Senator Reynolds, Democrat. of
North Carolina, would permit the
Commissioners to appoint nine candi-
dates, instead of five It was passed
by the Senate April %, 1887, and has
been languishing since IN the House
Military Affairs Committee. which is
headed by Representative May, Demo-
crat. of Kentucky.
The May committee declined re-
Gently to report the bill out for action
at this session, but some civic leaders
are clinging to a faint hope for
reversal of this ruling.
City Heads Ask Action.
The District Commissioners and
Corporation Counsel Elwood H. Seal
have petitioned for action by the
House this session, hoping the bill
would not be permitted to die with
this session. If it dies, they hope for
favorable action next year.
In report on the measure to the
Senate Military Affairs Committee,
dated April 16, 1887, Secretary of War
Woodring. stated:
The effect of the bill will be to
increase the total authorized strength
of the Corps of Cadets from 1860 to
1864. the four additional cadets to be
appointed from the District of Co.
lumbia. The Military Academy is
capable of receiving and providing for
the additional small number of cadets
authorized by the bill.
The small increase provided by the
bill is in accord with existing War
Department policies in regard to
maintaining parity il the corps of
officers between the Officers appointed
from the Military Academy and those
appointed from other sources.
Reason for Increase.
ut appears that the reason ad-
vanced for increase in the number Of
appointments allotted to the District
of Columbia Is based or the fact that
under existing law. eight States with
an estimated smaller population than
the District Of Columbia each have
total of nine appointments to the
Military Academy, while the District
of Columbia has but five.
I'm view of the fact that the allot-
ment of appointments is based in
general upon population. it is the
opinion of the War Department that
the enactment of S. 1348 would cor
rect an existing inequity. The War
Department, for the rea&pns which
have been set forth, favors enact
ment of S. 1948.'
The inequities under the present
law were emphasized by L. A. Car
ruthers. speaking for the Forest Hills
Citizens Association. in letter to
Senator Reynolds February "a last
year. He found that the then esti-
mated population of 10 States New
Hampshire, Vermont, Delaware, Mon
tana, Idaho, Wyoming, New Mexico,
Arizona and Nevada) would total s.
$4,000, which would permit the ap-
pointment to West Point of 238. This
would be one appointment for 16,184
of population.
Mr.. Carruthers contrasted this to
one appointment from the District
for each 68,777 of population. He
added: I'm order for the District to
have the same representation as these
10 States, it would be necessary that
the District be given 80 appointments,
instead of g.
Like others, Mr.. Carruthers did not
insist on such a quota, but urged
passage of the bill to raise the num-
ber from five to nine.