Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-10-08
MIDSHIPMEN DENIED
THE PRIVILEGE OF WORSHIPING WHERE
THEY PLEASE.
Indignation Of The Baltimore PTeshyteH
Aroused Over The MatteT-VleWS
Of Different Members
Of PTsshyteT.
THE END is NOT YET.

The question that has agitated the
clergy OF the Presbyterian and Methodist
denominations for some years past as to
the business Of the rules governing the
religious duties Of the midshipmen at the
Naval Academy was brought before the
meeting of the Baltimore Presbytery.
held at White Hall, Hartford county,
on Tuesday Of this week.
The subject, which is considered an
important one. was brought up by the
retiring Moderator, the Rev. George )
: ell, pastor of the Annapolis Presbyterian
Church. Mr.. Bell stated that It was
rule OF the Academy that all midshipmen
should attend the service held in the
Academy chapel, which services were
according to the Episcopal rule, 1.-The only
students exempted from the sule being
the Roman Catholics.
All others who wish to be excused
from these services must sign a state
ment saying that they cannot conscien-
tiously worship in the chapel. and as this
would imply great narrowness Of mind
the result is that many Of the midship-
men attend the Episcopal services in the
chapel who would prefer to worship in
their own denomination. The Roman
Catholic midshipmen are not required to
sign this statement and are allowed the
privilege of worshiping where they please.
The matter aroused considerable in
dignation. DIR. Jas. w. McIlvain stated
that the government had no right to in
fuence persons TO attend any service,
and he described the services held at the
Academy according to the Episcopal
Church, which he termed the established
church of the navy" as "cold and for
NAL. DIR. Robt II. Williams advised
that the matter be referred TO the Cen
eral Assembly, as he said the matter had
once before been taken up to no purpose.
DR.. James S. Malone expressed the
opinion that the Presbytery should insist
upon the settlement of the matter in such
a way as to give the midshipmen Of
Presbyterian, as we'll as Roman Cath
olics, belief absolute freedom as to their
religious worship. The matter was finally
referred to a committee composed Of
Rev. Dewitt c. Benham, Rev. DIR. 4.
II. Robbins and Elder Ammidon, to be
considered and reported upon at the
next meeting. Mr.. Bell was placed on
the committee, but asked TO be excused.
The Rev. George S. Pell, pastor of the
Presbyterian Church here, is chairman
of the committee on religious conditions
in the Army and Navy. In reporting on
the conditions at Annapolis he spoke Of
the authorities at the Naval Academy
requiring the midshipmen to attend the
services at the Naval Academy chapel
unless they can say they cannot consci-
entiously attend these services. Only
the Roman Catholic midshipmen can
conscientiously say this, as none of the
Protestant midshipmen are SO narrow in
their religious views as to make con-
trary statement. The result is the church
squad has been Withdrawn from all the
churches in the city save that of ST.
Mary's Roman Catholic Church.
The out-in-town church squad was first
withdrawn in 1895 during the superin
tendency of Captain ooper. Formerly,
as many as forty midshipmen at
tended the Presbyterian church at the
Sunday morning service. In 1900 it was
again restored, but recently the rules
governing the affairs at the Naval Acad
emy have been so changed as to make
it impossible for midshipmen to attend
any service save the one in the Academy.
Over one hundred letters we're sent out
to parents and officials relative to the
matter, and also to the Secretary of the
Navy, but to no effect. Mr.. Bell says
there are many midshipmen of Presbyte-
rian parentage who desire their sons to
attend the church Of their adoption.
Several fathers of midshipmen are
ministers of that faith. A letter has been
received from one parent who wrote that
he surrendered his boy to the United
States Navy for eight years, bu it was
conditioned on his having all the privi
leges of the Naval Academy, one being
the privilege Of religious liberty. laid
down in the Constitution of the United
States the liberty to attend the church
Of his choice. The Presbytery is earnest
in the matter and the end is not yet, it is
stated authoritively, that the matter will
be taken up at the Synod, which meets
at an early date in Washington. On the
other hand it appears to the laity that the
desire 10 attend any particular church in
town should come direct from the mid
shipmen or from the parents, who should
be the persons most deeply concerned.