Evening star., 1901-10-24
Discipline at West Point Has Been
Greatly Improved.
SUPERINTENDENT MILLS REPORT
Not One Case of Maltreatmsnt
at Summer Camp.
GOOD CONDUCT OF CADETS

The efforts made to stamp out "hazing.
practices at the United States Military
Academy are fully detailed in the annual
report of Col. A. L. Mills, superintendent of
the academy which was made public at the
| War Department today.
! "The discipline of the corps of cadets"
says Col Mills has greatly improved
| during the year and is now in an excellent
state. 1t is believed no military body of its
size exists which excels it in soldierly ap-
| pearance and in the perfection of drill and
| military exercises as well as in the higher
requirements of devotion to duty. This sat-
| isfactory condition has been attained by
! firm adherence to the measures adopted
during the past three years to create among
| the cadets a higher soldierly regard for
their obligations, in particular those per-
tanning to hazing. While these measures
and the subject itself have been fully COW
cred in previous reports to the. War
Department, both will be reviewed here
at considerable length on account of
their Importance. Such review, it is
| hoped may in a measure correct some
of the many erroneous impressions given
and the prejudices excited last winter
a section of the public press exploited Ger
tain allegations regarding former cadet.
These allegations made 1t appear that tie
responsible officers of the institution we're
dereict and Indifferent to their duty and
the cadet body the opposite of what its
members in reality are-manly young SOL
diers. well qualified, with but very few eX-
ceptions, to be representatives of our coun-
try and serve in it's armies.
"Hazing and its attributes alone gave
grounds for the criticism which was di-
rected at the institution early in the year.
In one form or another the practice has
existed for many years BY repreSSiVe
measures it has often been reduced to mid
forms. but with any relaxing of these meas
ureS it has taken on renewed life and new
features. In recent years, due in q measure
to new conditions, it had deHcIopeG to
extent of severity never before attained, /
believe, and in cases it was Carried to eX-
tremes. All cadets have not been in SYM
pathy with the practice nor INDUCED N it,
and but few in any class have carried 1t to
a point of brutality.
From the assumption of my duties as
superintendent the extent of the practice
and its effect on the military training of
the cadets and the welfare of the instiru-
ton were recognized. Lieutenant Colonel
Helm, commandant of cadets, and at tAIt
time acting superintendent, had been cx-
erting all the powers of his office to sup
press it. His efforts were continued
throughout his tour commandant of ca
diets, and We're aided and seconded by me,
and every endeavor was made to eradicate
the practice. The utmost vigilance was ex-
acted of the officers, under whose mmedi-
ate supervision cadets live, to report viHla-
tions of the many orders covering the sub
ject. Every offense established or any act
having in any way a bearing on hazing
was summarly and severely punished. The
privileges and responsibilities of cadets
were increased and persistent personal and
official endeavor was made to create among
them healthy sentiment against the prac-
tice.
Obstacles to Combating Hazing.
THE principal obstacles encountered in
combating hazing were: A defect in the
regulations which previous superintendents,
as well as myself found operated to pre-
vent obtaining the necessary evidence to
proceed against the cadets who INDUCED in
it; strong class and corps feeling among
cadets; the fact that the majority of ca
dets had come to believe that hazing was
one Of the traditions of the institution and
that more or less of it was necessary
part of the training required to hold the
| body of cadets to the perfection of drill and
appearance; and, finally, public sentiment
outside of the cadet body, instead of be-
Ing arrayed against 1t, seemed, from the
commendatory talk reaching cadets and
articles that often appeared in print, rather
to favor it.
When public attention was called to the
subject of hazing at the Military Academy
by the allegations above referred to much
had already been accomplished to abate
the practice. The harsher forms had been
voluntarily abandoned by cadets, and q
strong and rapidly growing sentiment
against the practice had been created
among them. The firm attitude of the War
Department in supporting the authorities in
the endeavors they We're making had a
most salutary effect, and the department
also had so strengthened ard changed the
regulations OF the academy that their ap-
plicatiOn with the coming of this years
new class would have insured a total sup
preston of the practice with its attendant
evils. 1t is to be regretted that this most
desirable end was not to be attained with
out publicity.
Full Extent of the Practice.
while the evidence adduced before the
| military court of inquiry and the congress
sional committee last winter showed that
| the allegations in the case which led to the
| inquiries were not true, the evidence laid
bare the full extent of the practice as it
| had existed, and thereby resulted in much
| good by the public condemnation it evoked,
| and also by the wise legislation that fol-
| lowed the congressional committees re-
| port
| '"The question of the further continuance
| of any form of hazng was definitely set
| tied in May last. Notwithstanding the les
| sons of the winters searching inquiries, it
| was evident, when in March the candidates
| for admission appeared to take their exami-
| nations, that some members of the fourth
| class felt that attention, other than that
! exercised by authority, should be given to
| these prospective newcomers, and one of