Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-09-17


The United States has the wo
This applies not only to Annapolis
and West Point, but to the Coast
Guard Academy, the three Govern
ment aviation schools at Kelly and
Randolph Fields, Texas, and Pensa-
cola, Fla, and the various other
schools maintained by the Army
and the Navy
Navy Considered.
Considering the Navy first, it is
necessary at the outset to appreciate
the broad division of its officers into
several classes. There are the line
officers, some $500 in number, rang
ing through all the ranks, from the
young ensign to the seasoned ad-
miral. Entrusted to them are the
military duties of the Navy, the
command of fleets, divisions and
ships, the direction of military &C
tivities within each ship, such as
navigation of the vessel, control of
the gunfire, and operation of the
engines.
Then, for the non military activ-
tiles of the Navy, there are the O.
900 officers of the Staff Corps, the
Medical Corps, and its companion,
the Dental Corps. to care for the
health of the officers and men of
both the Navy and the Marine
Corps.
As is we'll known. the Naval Acad-
envy at Annapolis, Md, is the official
training school for our naval Of
ficers. Five midshipmen are allowed
for the Vice President of the United
States and four for each Senator,
Representative and delegate in Con-
gress; one for Puerto Rico. a ma
tive of the island, nominated by the
Governor; four for the resident
commissioner from Puerto Rico;
four for the District of Columbia,
and Is appointed each year from
the United States at large. These
last appointments are made by the
President.
The law authorizes appointment to
the academy of 100 enlisted men each
year, selected as result of COM
petitive examination of members of
the Navy and the Marine Corps. 1t
also authorizes appointment of Is
men chosen after similar tests among
the enlisted personel of the Naval
Reserve and the Marine Corps Re-
serve.
An act of Congress approved Feb
ruary q, 1886, authorizes the Sec
rotary of the Navy to appoint not
more than 20 midshipmen a year
from among the honor candidates
of educational institutions desig-
mated as honor schools by the War
Department, and from the members
of the Naval Reserve officers Train
ing Corps. The Secretary has estab-
lished regulations providing that
each of the honor schools may deslg-
nate three candidates, and each of
the six institutions which maintain
Naval Reserve Officers Training
Corps. three candidates. All these
candidates undergo the regular en-
trance examinations for midshlp-
men. The papers are marked on a
competitive basis, and the 20 cam
didates standing highest are ap-
pointed if physically qualified.
FOur-Year Course.
The course of training for mid
shipmen is four years. During the
summer, middies of the first and
third classes 60 to sea for about
three months. It is the policy to
retain the second class at the acad-
envy for instruction in aviation and
engineering subjects. Upon gradual
ton, they are commissioned as en-
signs or assigned by the Secretary
of the Navy to fill vacancies in the
lowest commissioned grades in the
Marine Corps for a two-year pro-
stationary period.
Naval Reserve Officers Training
Corps have been established in Har-
ward, Yale, Northwestern, Wash
ington and California universities,
and at Georgia School of Tech
nology. The naval course at these
institutions is an elective one, and
students enrolled in it are given
credit toward a degree for a success
full completion of their naval work.
Instruction is given in navigation,
seamanship, ordnance and gunnery,
tactics, international law, commune
cations and marine engineering.
Graduates who successfully COM
plete the naval course and are phys
ically qualified are commissioned in
the Naval Reserve or the Marine
Corps Reserve. A number of select
ed graduates are commissioned as
ensigns in the Supply Corps of the
Navy and as second lieutenants in
the marines for two-year proba-
tionary period.
Under an act of Congress ap-
proved June 7, 1885, the authorized
strength of the Military Academy
at West Point, N. Y, is 1850 cadets