Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-01

Saws the Admiral Exceeded His Duty
in MOrgan's Case.

Admiral Belknap, in an interview in the
Boston Post regarding the Sampson-Mor-
gan incident, says:
with regard to West Point and An
napolis there are no more Democratic IN
stitutions In the world. The young boys
who go to these academies are appointed
by congressman from all over the country.
with the exception of those who are APP
pointed al large by the President.
These boys represent every condition
and class of life in the United States, and
during their course of study there the
rich mans has no more advantages
than the poor mans son. Every room is
furnished exactly alike, and no change is
allowed IN any direction whatever.
I'VE know that at Harvard and Yale and
at the other colleges in the land the rich
mans son is allowed to furnish his rooms
in a lavish manner. But at West Point and
Annapolis this practice Is entirely forbid
den and all stand on the same plane of
democratic equality.
THE course of study at both these acad
emies is very severe, and the boy who
comes out after four years of study is sup
posed to enter the service life with start
in professional knowledge and ideas as re-
CARDS the navy and military superior to
those who get their training elsewhere, and
| suppose all that Admiral Sampson meant
to convey is the idea that officers so trained
for the naval service We're better adapted to
the service and its great demands for eX-
DefltHct'. skill anu PROFESSIONAL hIloNituSe
than the men brought up under different
conditions.
But We know that this is popular gov
ernment, and that the democratic element
continually grows. and that the more demo-
cratic element which Dervades the army
must be recognized by the navy and yield
ed to at the expression Of the popular will.
1T seems that Gunner Morgan served on
| board the New York with Admiral Samp-
son and was with him all the time he was
communicating chief of the North Atlantic
! squadron. and that he did his duty faith
| fully, CALAMITY and well, and he only asked
of Admiral Sampson an official expression
| as to his conduct and work fit to
| receive. commission as ensign In the navy.
1T seems to me that if Admiral Sampson
recognized his work as he seems to have
done his province ended when he gave his
| opinion as to the qualifications and bearing
Of Mr.. Morgan, and especially 1t had
| come under his notice in time of war Here
| 1t seems to me, Admiral Simpsons prov
| ince ended.
ITO recommend to the Secretary of the
| Navy that he ignore "a law, if not already
enacted, sure to be placed on the statute
books, seems to me to be a work of su-
pererogation, and not called for under the
circumstances.
What i have meant to convey is that
the navy is thoroughly democratic organ
ization but that the sitting out is done at
the Naval Academy, where boys of every
condition and class are trained to test their
| powers and to be educated officers of the
navy. Whatever the social condition of the
| boy is at home his mental powers and his
moral qualifications are tested at the acad-
| emy and those unfit to continue in the SER
| vice fall by the wayside.
when the civil war broke out the navy
| had to be recruited mainly from the mer-
| chant marine. At the close of the war
many of the volunteer officers were taken
| into the regular service, after passing the
| necessary examinations. Many of these
officers have distinguished themselves in
various lines of effort, notably Rear Ad-
| miral O'Neil chief of the ordnance bureau
and when the popular will says that war
rant officers shall be raised to the status
| and conditions of commissioned officers. the
navy will gracefully yield"