New-York tribune., 1900-12-26
HAZING AT WEST POINT
COLONEL MILLS OFFERS SOME coe
RECTIoNs TO A PUBLISHED
STATEMENT.

BOUNDS AND BELIEVES THAT "ExER-
cIsING" AND QUALIFYING" NO
LONGER EXIST
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: In the Supplement- OF yesterdays Trib.
une appeared article. 'Hazing at West
Point which contains several statements a,
variance with the facts and which in a wav
puts me q rather an unpleasant light and ona
exact conditions hardly justify. I am imposing
your time in writing to you regarding the
matter. not to complain. for have no reason to
believe that the writer Of the article whoever he
is. desired to say anything other than what he
had reason to believe true. but with the
hope that you will show him this letter so that
il later on when the result OF the Booz investt-
cation is given out. further comment is made.
the errors refer to may be corrected. hope
not imposing too much your good nature
in asking you to do this. II may be I am too
sensitive. but have been made the target Of 90
much condemnation and vilihcation in connec-
tion with the Booz case through the wilfuIiy
false MISREPRESENTATION in some papers that
especially feel it when standby like The Trib-
une is astray. The particular items mention
are:
First-The statement attributed to me in the
second paragraph OF the article that "hazlng at
a
I have never Intentionally or consciously made
this statement as applying TO the practice Of
hazng as whole. and IL I have sver given any
one that impression. 1t was not my intention TO
do so. However desirable it is that ali hazing
should end here and at other colleges. it never
will. in my opinion. until human nature becomes
radically different from what II now is All that
can be hoped for is TO create strong sentiment
against 1t. and. by a continual vigilance, sup
press and keep it within bounds. The best rec
ord OF what 1 have really claimed about hazing
is to be found in my annual reports. and these
I send you by this mail. 1t may be that have
made a remark similar to the one quoted In
commenting upon exercising" and IL so. the
remark is absolutely true. for that particular
and pernicious form Of hazing is now a matter
of the past at the Military Academy.
Second-The other statements want to refer
to are in the third paragraph Of the article
Certain forms of hazing have probably been
discontinued but the practice OF putting the
plebe through course Of sprouts 70 test his
manliness. his courage, his respect for superiors
and to make him appreciate the fact that he
is new and has no standing with upper class
men. is still in vogue and probably with the full
knowledge OF the Academy authorities''-and
the comments exercising" Qualifying and
''bracing'' in the fifth and sixth paragraphs Of
the article. I assure you that no forms OF
hazing have been carried on since I have been
in charge at the Military Academy with my
knowledge. and this fact will certainly plainly
be seen when the record Of the Booz investiga-
ton is made public. Regarding exercising"
and qualifying" there has been none Of it with
this last fourth class I truly believe. The
former was pernicious and dangerous form OF
hazing, and it was done away with year ago by
the united and voluntary action Of all four
classes. Qualifying was a species OF annoy
ance confined to the mess hall. and 1t also. I
have every reason to believe. has not been prac-
tised at all this year. With reference to ''brac-
ing or, in other words. causing fourth class
men to assume an exaggerated position Of the
soldier. it is the least harmful of all the forms
Of hazing. and could not possibly do physical
harm to it's victim. The strong objection to It
comes in. however from the fact that It is done
in violation Of orders.
The remainder Of the article is fair. and no ex-
ception is taken to it. except that I have
sympathy with what the old graduate Of the
Academy is quoted as saying. 1t is just such
remarks. together with the injudicious advice Of
dear mamma and friends. and the indiscreet
commendation Of younger officers which make
dealing with hazing so difficult matter for
those in authority A L. MILLS,
Colonel United States Army, Superintendent.
West Point, N T. Dec. "a. 1900
lin the report referred to in his letter, Colonel
Mills says, under the head Of Discipline:
The unenlightened. generally obsolete and
vicious practice of hazing has not been sup
pressed, but it is believed to be on the wane in
consequence Of the more vigorous methods
which have been taken to eradicate it, and it is
hoped and believed that the growing opposition
OF cadets themselves to this unmanly and unsol-
dierly practice will finally result in it's complete
extinction
Lieutenant-Colonel o. L. Helm. commandant
Of cadets. in his report says;
The discipline of the corps Of cadets has been
strictly enforced in accordance with the Regua-
tions of the United States Military Academy.
1t has, generally speaking. been very good, and,
as far as my knowledge goes, was never N sucn
a satisfactory condition as at present This. N
my opinion. can be attributed 20 the more ade-
quate disciplinary methods in practice; to
the more discriminate award Of privileges ac-
cording to conduct grades; to intrusting greater
capacity of officers and holding them up 70 the
same; to the Introduction of the scheme Of mill
tary efficiency. by which soldierly value can be
properly credited; and by the more vigorous
measures taken to suppress haz1ng, the root OF
all evil at the Military Academy.
This pernicious practice. with its tendencies 70
develop all that is unsOldierly and nothing that
is manly. has. in it's more injurious forms. been
voluntarily abandoned by cadets generally. ana.
be it said to their credit. is now a custom more
honored In the breach than In the observance.
MARK TWAIN AT ELMIR4.