Evening star., 1940-10-05
Defense Needs
Threaten Navy
Football Field
Bourd of Visitors
Urges Expansion
Of Academy
By the Associated Press.

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Oct. 0!--NdS
tional defense requirements and de-
mands for increased oficer person
mel may mean elimination Of the
United States Naval Academy's foot
ball stadium.
In its annual report to President
Roosevelt, the Academy's Board OF
Visitors urged purchase Of five acres
of residential property adjoining the
present football field and CONVEX
sion of the entire area into training
facilities.
A new stadium could be built else
where, the board said, suggesting
that a tract could be bought from
the Navy Athletic Association.
The board also urged expansion
of the Academy involving several
new buildings and facilities for
modern anti-aircraft equipment for
training purposes. Enlisted mems
barracks and added dormitory space
for midshipmen we're recommended.
Against Change i'm Admissions.
After considerable study, the re-
port noted, the board had voted
against any change in the Acad-
emy's present admission require
ments.
The board members, who in
spected the Academy last April, said
they had given much time" to the
discussion of the age at which can
didates should be admitted to the
Academy.
THE plan Of taking in candidates
at the beginning of their secondary
school period and at the age when
they would have completed COL
lege course were discussed" the re-
port said. The board is not in
favor of either plan and approves
the present policy in the matter"
Mas Makes Minority Report.
In a minority report Representa-
tive Mas. Republican, of Mime
| sofa said Il believe we should make
the Naval Academy into a technical
training school rather than junior
educational institution.
! Candidates for commissions
should be college graduates and
should go to the Naval Academy as
a post t-graduate school to take their
technical, professional training"
He asserted that midshipmen
taken into the Academy were too
young to have absorbed the civilian
point of view of our great democracy
and after entrance to the Academy
they are so closely cloistered that
they have no further opportunity
either to understand or to absorb
the civilian point of view"
In written statement to the
board Rear Admiral Wilson Brown.
Academy superintendent, said the
history of all navies indicates a gen.
eral acceptance of the belief that it
is important to start the training Of
officers during early formative
years"
The habit of discipline and ac-
ceptance of monotonous routine can
be acquired more readily in youth,
he asserted.
Urges Study of Housing.
The board recommends a thor
ough stury of the problem Of
providing adequate dormitories for
the midshipmen. The report said
if there is a material increase in
midshipmen these present crowded
conditions would be greatly aggra-
vated''
The board said the Academy
would receive shortly new and the
most modern anti-aircraft equip
ment. The facilities for training
midshipmen with guns is sadly in
adequate" it added
The report recommended:
Purchase from the Navy Athletic
Association a tract for a stadium
and the construction of new stands
for $4,000
Construction of an adequate field
house for indoor sports and indoor
drills.
Construction of two floors OF a
new academic building as an addi-
ton to the present armory. the
first floor to be used for model and
torpedo rooms and the second floor
for classrooms for the ordnance and
gunnery department.
Barracks for Enlisted Men.
Construction of suitable barracks
for enlisted men. Their quarters
on the Reina Mercedes and the
Cumberland, stationships, are "in-
adequate" the report said.
Construction of seaplane hangar
across the Severn River. Rapidly
expanding operation of water craft
is making seaplane operations haz-
ardous near the academy, the re-
port asserted.
Extension of the gun shed so feet
north to provide space for new anti
aircraft equipment.
Construction of outside fire escapes
for the auditorium where motion
pictures are shown.
The board expressed regret that
the academy's physical training pro-
gram must depend for its support
on the Navy Athletic Association
This exposes the program to drastic
curtailment from time to time and
is an "unsound policy" the report
said.
Physical Training Handicapped.
The excellent physical training
program, the board declared, is
handicapped by "hopelessly made
quate possibilities"
The report added
1.-THE board feels that the atten-
ton of the authorities should be
called to impending difficulties of
the academys Institutional staff in
light of the existing limited emer-
gency and the possibilities of its ex-
tension.
"Such a condition involves a dan
ger that may become serious from
two angles to the teaching program,
which DrOpram ipyolveS single ear