Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-13
COLONEL MILLS IS CALLED
Investigating Committee Has West POin
Superintendent on the Carpet
CADETS USED TO Be MORE pEActAsLt
Knew OF Only Three Fights Occurring y
During His Academic Term In
'7O's and Those Were Inn
promptu Encounters.

WEST POINT. NJ Y, Jan. f2.-Colonel A.
L. Mills, superintendent Of the United
States military academy at West Point,
occupied the witness stand during the morn
Ing and afternoon session OF the congress
sional Investigation committee, with the
exception OF a few minutes during which
Horace c. Booz testified that the evidence
given by him before the military court on
December 20 was correctly reported on the
record. Colonel Mills occupied the atten-
tion of the committee at the night session.
Ho made an exhaustive and compre-
hensiye statement of his administration as
superinte ndent OF the academy since 1898
and went into details upon every point upon
which the committee wished to be enlight-
ened. Several times during the day several
congressman comprising the committee ex-
pressed themselves. as being pleased with
thine efforts he was making to stamp out
bazing at the academy. once he showed
some feeling when Mr.. Briggs asked him n
it were true that the officers Of the West
Point academy we're so much imbued with
the fighting traditions OF the academy that
they did not care to stop 1t. The colonel
put himself on record as being opposed to
fighting and said IL was not a traditional
institution at the academy He said every
of1cer at the academy was against II and
II was no part OF the training of the cadets.
The committee will hold three sessions
daily during the greater part of next week.
Colonel Mills said that he was graduated
from West Point in June 1879. During his
experience as a cadet, he said, fourth -class
men were required to be obedient and re-
spectful to the upper class men. but not in
the same measure which they would be
obliged to recognize the authority OF an
academy of1cer. fhe same denIerit system
which now exists was then in vogue
"Did they have class scrapplng commit
tees them" asked Judge Smith.
They did not"
did they have fist fights to a finish, with
referees, seconds and timekeepers?"
Not that can recall. l think there
were only three fights during my academic
term. These were Of an impromptu nature
and think tho contestants were all first
class men"
Judge Smith then asked a number Of
questions bearing on the surveillance OF the
movements of cadets at night and elected
the information that no officer is supposed
to be awake all night in order to see that
the cadets do not get outside of the post
reservation.
At the night session Horace G. Booz was
examined briefly as to the accuracy Of the
report OF his testimony before the military
'ourt This WAS accepted by the committee
md Booz excused.
Colonel Mills was then questioned as to
The dismissal Of Cadet Huetzler. Colonel
Clayton said Huetzer had been reported
forty-one times by officers and on these he
received sixty-seyen demerits, and on
seyenty-six reports from cadets he received
152 dement's, making in all 2l9 demerts.
Colonel Mills when asked IL he had over
found cadet officers to be partial in their
reports said he never In his career as
superintendent had even suspicion OF a
cadet officer having abused his authority.
Chairman Dick said the number of demcr-
It's given Huetzler on reports OF cadets,
1917, as against sixty-seven on reports from
officers, seems so greatly out OF proportion
to the other cases on the list that he
thought 1t needed somc explanation.
Colonel Mills said Huetzler was very
careless man and that the various reports
would show this. This witness said he
had Huetzler up before him frequently.
He did not think Huetzler had been un-
fairly treated.
The witness said that a report of the in
auiry which gave an interview with him
as printed In u New York paper on De-
:ember g. 1900, was incorrect and cast a
reflection on him as superintendent of the
academy. At the conclusion OF the colonel's
testimony court adjourned until Monday
morning