Capt. GIBBONS. Commander R. H. Jackson, and Commander Hoff has charge of languages. Mr. HOBSON. Does Jackson approve of your proposition? Capt. GIBBONS. Yes, sir. Mr. HOBSON. And Commander Hoff? Capt. GIBBONS. Yes, sir. Mr. HOBSON. Do the officers themselves like to be assigned to duty like that? Capt. GIBBONS. I think they do. I consider it an honor for any officer to be ordered to the Naval Academy. I do not know their present ideas. They are never ordered unless they request to come. More ask to come than I ask to have detailed for duty there. Mr. HOBSON. I refer chiefly to those who would be junior in the departments and who would take the place of these civilian professors. That would fall, as I take it, to the junior lieutenants? Capt. GIBBONS. Lieutenants and junior lieutenants. Mr. HOBSON. Do you think they like that junior duty? Capt. GIBBONS. I have two young officers in the department of modern languages, Lieut. Beauregard and Lieut. Glassford, who applied to go into that department. They are both eminently qualified as linguists. Mr. HOBSON. Do you think it advisable, for the length of time that civilians perform duty at the academy, that military officers should be assigned to nonmilitary duty? Capt. GIBBONS. The two officers to whom I have referred are able to take a post graduate course in languages themselves as well as to instruct others. We now have two people in Berlin studying German and others in Japan studying Japanese. When an officer has talent for languages and is available for shore duty, I think instructing in modern languages is a good training for him; at the same time, he is giving good service to the Government and is available for sea duty in time of war. Mr. HOBSON. Of course, we need to have good grammar in the service good rhetoric and other things-but do you think they should be qualified for postgraduate work in English? Capt. GIBBONS. Yes. Besides, they go on cruises four months in a year. They get eight months' shore duty and four months' sea duty. Mr. HOBSON. The only point I want to bring out is assigning a military officer by regulation or otherwise to duty that is only semimilitary when his pay is two times or more the cost of the civilian's, who would probably be more efficient? Capt. GIBBONS. That would be all right if the civilians were willing to remain at $1,800 while there. As soon as an instructor is there he naturally looks for promotion, and we have now two professors who have been there all their lifetime, simply being maintained on sentiment. They have spent their lives there, and they have been before Congress from time to time for relief. At the same time every one of these instructors that I have talked with-and I have talked with many-hope to serve a certain number of years, with the idea of being made a lieutenant commander and being put on the retired list of the Navy. I can not see the saving in that myself. If you could get a civilian instructor who was perfectly willing to come there and serve his available years of duty as instructor and pass out without any pension or anything else, his employment might be justified on economical grounds alone. Mr. HOBSON. Have any of these professors who would have dropped out ever intimated that they were unwilling to serve at their present salary? Capt. GIBBONS. There are always applicants for increases, of course. Mr. HOBSON. They are not compelled to serve; they could resign any day. I never heard it stated that they were unwilling to take the pay they were receiving. Of course you can readily understand that when they plan to make a life career in the academy or in any other college or university that they would not like to be at the lowest grade all the time; but barring that, do you make the point that the substitution of lieutenants at about $3,900 for these $1,800 men would be advisable? Capt GIBBONS. In the long run I think there would be a saving to the Government. Mr. HOBSON. In what way-in what kind of a long run? Suppose in the last 20 years we had had officers in the place of the civilian instructors; the expense would have been almost twice as much. Capt. GIBBONS. For a certain period; but in the long run Mr. HOBSON (interposing). Under the possibility of creating a corps in which all of these instructors, instead of being at $1,800, would be at probably $3,900, something like that. Under the existing conditions I can not see it. You would not expect, if you had that condition which you refer to, where after 20 years' service they would be eligible to appointment to the corps of professors of mathematics-not necesarily appointed, but eligible--you would not contemplate that those men at $1,800 would be more expensive than the lieutenants? The places in those departments must be filled, and it is not inconsistent with having them at $1,800 that they should be supplanted by others later and promoted. Capt. GIBBONS. My idea of economy would be that in the long run Mr. HOBSON (interposing). Can you explain to us the long run? Capt. GIBBONS. I mean that a young naval officer detailed there two or three years on shore duty is available at the outbreak of war for sea duty. Mr. HOBSON. Who would take his place then? Capt. GIBBONS. His place would be taken by Mr. HOBSON (interposing). You would not suspend the operations of the academy at the outbreak of war? Capt. GIBBONS. I would send the three upper classes and every available officer to sea. To put the Navy on a war footing it would take every officer, and we would have to look around for retired officers. Mr. HOBSON. Is not that the more reason why you should have civilian instructors? Capt. GIBBONS. A small number, because you would take most of the midshipmen away. Mr. HOBSON. You could not keep that up. Would you have them replaced if the war lasted any length of time? As I figure the future wars, we can not possibly win a short war. We are abso lutely sure of defeat in a short war. We have either to be confronted with sure defeat or else starting out from the beginning be prepared for a long war, and then have to put the classes quickly through the Annapolis Academy. Capt. GIBBONS. I do not think that future wars are likely to last more than a year. Mr. HOBSON. Do you think that we would end the war in defeat! Capt. GIBBONS. I should hate to think so. Mr. HOBSON. You do not see any possibility of our winning a war in a year? Capt. GIBBONS. I do. Mr. HOBSON. With what first-class naval power? We can not control the sea. Capt. GIBBONS. That depends upon our preparedness. Mr. BATHRICK. How many officers are we short now, Captain, to complete the number required to man all our vessels as we have them to-day? Capt. GIBBONS. I do not know. The CHAIRMAN. We are short about 3,000 officers. Mr. BATHRICK. How many officers are we annually turning out of the Naval Academy? Capt. GIBBONS. About 150. Mr. BATHRICK. So, it will take 20 years to fill the present complement? Capt. GIBBONS. Yes, sir; if your figures are right and the personnel bill does not become a law. Mr. BATHRICK. And if there are vacancies occurring it will take longer. Now, Captain, I think all of us have had considerable experience in proposing candidates for the Military Academy, and have them fall down in their examinations. Do you think the examination required of an applicant for the Naval Academy is very severe? Capt. GIBBONS. No, sir. Mr. BATHRICK. Why is it not very severe when 9 out of 10 fail to pass? Capt. GIBBONS. I would not say that 9 out of 10 fail to pass. Mr. BATHRICK. That is about the proportion in my district, and I do not think anybody can cast any reflection upon the intelligence of my district. I think it is the consensus of opinion of pretty nearly every member of this committee and in the House, and I might say a portion of the active naval officers in this country, that the examination is very severe. Have you ever considered modifying it and making it less severe? Capt. GIBBONS. It has been modified many times, up and down. Mr. BATHRICK. Who decides what questions shall be asked of the candidates? Capt. GIBBONS. The academic board. Mr. BATHRICK. Who compose that board? Capt. GIBBONS. The heads of the departments. I am the president of the board. There are 11 heads of departments. Mr. BATHRICK. Have you never considered the question as to whether these examinations were not too severe ? Capt. GIBBONS. I have considered it very carefully. Mr. BATHRICK. And still the applicants fall down? Capt. GIBBONS. You can not have an examination in which some one will not fall down. Mr. BATRICK. That is true. Capt. GIBBONS. I am sorry it is true. Mr. BATHRICK. My idea of the purpose of this Naval Academy is to make fighters in our Navy, men who are competent to perform the technical duties and at the same time have the spirit, grit, and energy to make good fighters. Have you ever taken into consideration the characteristics of a boy as to his energy and fitness, even though he has not the technical knowledge? Capt. GIBBONS. As far as getting in? Mr. BATHRICK. Yes, sir. Capt. GIBBONS. We can not do it as we used to. Now candidates are examined by the Civil Service Commission in the districts, and it is almost impossible. I should like to see that; I think it would be an excellent idea. When I entered Annapolis candidates had to appear before the board, and if they thought that you were of the right stuff they might look you over again. Now they are sent to preparatory schools and then take their examinations before the civil service. We know nothing about them except when certified as having passed. There is not the morale that there used to be. Mr. BATHRICK. The question of energy, fitness, and grit is not taken into consideration? Capt. GIBBONS. It is as soon as they get into the academy. Capt. GIBBONS. No, sir. Mr. BATHRICK. Have any of them been excluded from the academy because they did not have the grit and energy of a fighter, if they had the technical education? Capt. GIBBONS. I suppose there have been some. Mr. BATHRICK. Boys who make good in the long run, notwithstanding their belligerent characteristics? Capt. GIBBONS. Belligerency can not sometimes be controlled or subdued. Mr. BATHRICK. Do you take that into consideration? Capt. GIBBONS Yes, sir; their moral qualifications are always taken into consideration. Mr. BATHRICK. Their morality? Capt. GIBBONS. No: I mean morale in the sense of moral. They are supposed to be mantally, morally, and physically qualified. Mr. BATHRICK. There is another division of this subject. Do you know of any men who have come up from the rank of enlisted man and who have become officers? Capt. GIBBONS. Yes, sir. Mr. BATHRICK. Do you know quite a few? Capt. GIBBONS. Yes, sir. Mr. BATHRICK. In fact, there are plenty of examples? Capt. GIBBONS. Several of them are now midshipmen, people who entered the service as apprentices and then have secured appointments to the Naval Academy. Mr. BATHRICK. What do you mean by an apprentice; an enlisted man? Capt. GIBBONS. Yes, sir. 85873-13-30 Mr. BATHRICK. What we call bluejackets? Capt. GIBBONS. Yes, sir. Mr. BATHRICK. You are aware, Captain, that a good many of these bluejackets or enlisted men on the ships are taking a correspondenceschool course in those matters, studying questions pertaining to the art of war? They are studious and ambitious young fellows. I have been looking over the regulations of the Navy, and I find nothing therein that requires an officer-one of those educated men that the people have expended money on-none of those are required by the regulations to give instructions to the men who are struggling through this maze individually. Do you know of any such regulation? Capt. GIBBONS. Instructions for the enlisted men? Mr. BATHRICK. Yes, sir. Capt. GIBBONS. No, sir; we used to have what they called schoolteachers, but we do not have them any more. Mr. BATHRICK. How long ago was that? Capt. GIBBONS. Twenty-five years ago. Mr. BATHRICK. Do you think it would be a good plan to have the regulations compel officers to help the boys who are struggling along in these correspondence-school courses? Capt. GIBBONS. There is no lack of such voluntary help now. Mr. GREGG. Would it be possible through the means just suggested by Mr. Bathrick to supply the naval officers? Capt. GIBBONS. A part are so supplied now; a warrant officer, if he passes the examination, can be commissioned an ensign. That law is still on the statute books, and we get a certain number each year in that way. Mr. WITHERSPOON. Capt. Gibbons, I want to ask you one question. Mr. Bathrick suggested that your examinations there are too rigid. I want to ask you what per cent of those who are able to stand those rigid examinations and get into the academy are unable to master the course and to graduate? Capt. GIBBONS. Thirty per cent. Mr. WITHERSPOON. Does not that show that your examination is not too rigid? Capt. GIBBONS. That is a larger percentage than it used to be. Mr. WITHERSPOON. If your examinations were less rigid, would not a larger per cent of those who entered fail to graduate? Capt. GIBBONS. I doubt it. It follows the Darwinian theory. If you take an individual in, the individual is supposed to conform to the environment. If you have a man that does not conform to it, and you change the whole environment to meet his case and sav that everybody that comes there must go through, it would take a long time and an entirely different process. Mr. WITHERSPOON. I do not think you understand me. Does not the percentage of the men who fail in college depend very largely on their preparation to take the course? Capt. GIBBONS. It depends to a great extent on preparation. I doubt if any man could go through there who had not had the advantage of a common-school education. Mr. WITHERSPOON. The more rigid the examination, then, the better prepared would those who can pass it be to master the course, would they not? |