Evening star., 1901-05-21
COLONEL MILLS SUSTAINED.
GOVERNMENTAL OF WEST POINT
CADETS APPROVED.
Five Will Be Dismissed and Six Will
lie Suspended-War Depart
ment Conference.

Col. Mills, superintendent of the Military
Academy, had a long consultation with the
Secretary of War today relative TO recent
breaches of discipline among the cadets at
West Point.
The conference with the Secretary lasted
from 10 to 1:3O o'clock, and was most ex
hauStlVe in its scope AT it's conclusion it
was officially announced that the War De-
partment approved Of the action of the
superintendent and the academic board in
the matter of the eleven cadets who had
been court-martialed for serious breaches
of discipline. This means that five cadets
will be dismissed and six will be suspended
for a stated period. The above is the ex-
tent of the information vouchsafed ut the
War Department in regard to this ma1tar
and every effort was made to conceal the
names of the eleven cadets affected.
Superintendent Mills explained the condi-
ton OF things at the academy. saying that
the reports IN many papers had been great
ly exaggerated. and statements of the alI-
thorities and others distorted and misrep-
resented The present difficulty grows out
or the attempt to suppress haZing in ac-
cordance with the action of Congress. The
restrictions that have been made in this
direction since Col. Mills became superin-
tendent are opposed by some cadets. For
many years prior to his Superintendency
there mad grown up in the academy
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suppression. coupled with the Booz case
and the subsequent Investigations. caused
much irritation among the cadets, which
in several cases has developed into insub-
ordination. The superintendent spoke in
the highest terms of the young men, and
thought that 1t was only question of a
short time before the customary condi-
items would be resumed. The matter of
discipline was in question, and it was
agreed on all sides that it must be main
tanned The Secretary was much interested
in the statements of Col. Mills General
Davis, the next judge advocate general of
the army, who has recently been stationed
at West Point, was present during a por-
tion of the interview.
The names of the cadets dismissed and
suspended Will be announced al the Mill
tary Academy at noon tomorrow.
Determined to Eradicate HnzinG.
Although Secretary Root declined to dis
cuss the West Point troubles this after
noon, it is learned that he has decided to
enforce the anti-haing law of Congress to
the letter, and will sustain the superin
tendent and other officers of the academy
ntheir efforts to eradicate the practice
from the academy.
Congress has put itself on record against
the practice of haZng i'll every form and
the officials of the War Department and
the Military Academy naturally expect all
the members of that body to sustain the
department in the dismissal or punishment
of all cadets convicted of violating the
anti-hazng law. 1t is said at the depart
ment that the present trouble arises from
the determined stand taken by Superin-
tendent Mills for the maintenance of strict
discipline and the suppression of hazing
AS indicative of the spirit of Secretary
Root in the matter, he is credited with say
ing that he had already dismissed five ca
dets for INSTRUMENTATION. and that he VIII
dismiss fifty and more if 1t is necessary to
stop haZing at the academy, and would
count on the full support of Congress in SO
doing. The action of the War Department
Will be formally announced at the Military
Academy at noon tomorrow. The announce-
ment is withheld in order to give the con-
Ylcted cadets notice of the action of the
department before it is formally announced
to all the cadets.