The evening times., 1901-05-21
COLONEL MILLS UPHELD
He COnfers With Mr.. Root on the
West Point Uprising.
RinEIeaders in the Trouble at the
Military Academy to BE SternIy
Dealt With - The Agreement in
Regard to HuzinS Privileges.

Military Academy to BE SternIy
Dealt With - The Agreement in
Regard to HazinE Privileges.
It is reported on good authority that
after long conference with Col. \. L.
Mills, Superintendent of the West Point
ry Root decided to stand by that officer
and he will not remove the latter as Is
demanded by the cadets. The Secretary
Of War also decided that every cadet
found guilty of having hand in the re-
ported mutinous action Of training field
gun on the quarters occupied by Colonel
Mills. viii be severely punished ard that
no cadet shall escape because of inhu-
ence.
Colonel Mills arrived in Washington late
last night and reported at the War De
partuent this morning in response to the
order issued by Secretary Root yesterday.
The order directed the officer to proceed
to Washington Immediately to confer
with the Secretary of War on matters
pertaining to the conduct of the Military
Academy. Colonel Mills was cIoseted
with Secretary Root for nearly two hours
AS related by the Superintendent of the
Military Academy, the trouble among the
cadets originated in the fact that Colonel
Mills had endeavored TO be lenient with
the young men, and in order to
enable them to have some freedom
agreed to draw line between
certain '-chafhng'' and hazing proper
After he had expressed his willingness to
do this the cadets selected a committee
Of twelve TO draw up and sign the agree
ment with the Superintendent. The com
mittee was formed of three cadets from
each class, who named Cadet Douglas
Macarthur as their president.
What followed has never been made
public until this morning. when Secretary
Root was shown a copy of the agreement
This is a remarkable document and, as
the cadets alIege, was drawn up without
the knowledge or consent of either the
Congressional Committee which investi-
gated the Booz case, or the Secretary OF
War It was because Of alleged repeated
violations of this agreement by Colonel
Mills that the cadets showed mutIny-
The agreement follows and defines the
relations which shall exist between the
upper class men and "plebs-''
The following is our understanding Of
our rights according to your resolution in
regard 10 ab0lishing hazing and your in
terpretation Of the regulations Of Janu-
airy 1S, 1901.
Upper class men may chaf. but not Of
fend proper self-respect Of plebs. This
does not refer TO coaceit.
--PIebs viii not be entitled to Tecogni-
tiun until June
-.PIebs viii attend no social functions or
hops
ton
~PIebs shall be braced according to the
orders Of the superintendent in Camp
WaEsDOrough.
only o.Tcial relations shall be neces-
sary between upper class and fourth class
men
Glass fights must be abandoned.
Only justification for fights is an in
suit, which should be resented on the spot.
Rat funerals, while offences, shall not
he considered hazing
Fourth class men may be asked 10 do
such errands as may be done as faVUrs
but there shah be no compulsory sweep
ing OF rooms
THE order with regard to the bracing
Of fourth-cIass men shall be regarded, in
or out Of ranks, as the rule OF this au-
minIstration-
Liberal construction VII be placed on
the regulations and every man Will be
governed by his own conscience
Anything tending to reduce the sub
ordination of fourth class men viii De op-
posed
This document was signed by the twelve
cadets for the Military Academy and by
Colonel Mills, for the West Point Ad-
ministration- Colonel Mills the cadets
claim, has never lived up to his agree
ment, while on the other hand the cadets
have carefully avoided infringing any one
Of its clauses
Colonel Mills stated this morning that
nearly all of the cadets had written to
their Representatives and had openly
threatened to have him removed. Secre-
tary Root is reported as being very indig-
nant at this method and has decided TO use
severe measures.
When seen at the War Department to-
day, Colonel Mills declined to discuss the
trouble at length
Secretary Root viii today send his in
structons in the case to the judge advo-
cate Of the general court-martiaI now
convened at West Point.