New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-02-20
THE GUARDS SCANDAL.
Hosr Lord Roberts Proposes to 44bol-
ISL t'Ragging:
London. February


oompanionable officers by subjecting them to
hJmiIiating and brutal punishment Not long
ago an officer Of the Life Guards at Windsor
was disciplined in this way because he was
studous end disposed to take a serious view
Of hts military duties. He was not "cluba BILE
man at mess, and his associates undertook 10
reform his manners and to teach him how
good fellow and a gentleman in the King scar
let should comport himself. He was waylaid by
a gang of officers, scourged with whips, plunged
into horse trough and temporarily deprived
Of his clothing and uniform. A representative
Of the English middle class. he was disciplined
by titled and rich companions who assumed TO
he acting in the interest Of social harmony ana
good manners. In what is now known as the
Grenadier Guards scandal the victims of rag
eing'' were the sons of the Duke of Wellington
and Lord Belhavem and the nephew of Lord De
Saumarez, and their prosecutors were officers Of
high birth, wealth and middle class origin. The
three offenders. having created the impression
that they considered themselves too good for
the ccnpanionship of the mess and having de-
Clined to enter into the sports and amusements
Of the regiment, were tried by a sham court
martial accused Of belonging to the most noble
and respected families i'm the kingdom. and
falling to report themselves consummate
asses" and condemned TO ignominious and de-
grading punishment There are various YER
mobiles. and also Of the indignities to which they
were mercessIy subjected, but it is evident that
discipline was enforced with democratic sim
rlicity and that the 'hooligans'' in scarlet were
not Influenced by snobbishness nor idolatry Of
rank The subalterns' court martial did not
hesitate reform the manners" OF direct
descendant of the great Iron Duke.
Raging" being a recognized form Of dis
ciplfne and social reform in the officers mess,
as tagging is at Eton and other public schools,
no attention is ordinarily paid TO an incident OF
this kind. The victim is expected TO accept the
rough Justice Of the inquisition and to profit by
II IN amendment Of life The fact that he has
been singled out for punishment is ordinarily
rersr5ed with meekness as prima face evidence
that he deserved it through overbearing or I'M
sociable conduct If he takes the medicine With
out finching and orders champagne Tor the
rnessroon. he receives the right hand OF fellow
shin and his tormentors assure him that what
was done roughly was meant kindly Tor ms
good The young officers who JUSTIFY sUch
bear,less and cruel treatment OF their COM
ranions disclaim being vicious DULLES ana al
feet the responsibilities of social reformers and
,ro-es-s against their mock trials and arbitrary
n,,,,iehy77en+s are regarded as Vagaries Of milk
son sentiment Veterans in the service defend
tagging as q wholesome practice, which helps
70 make officers more manly in conduct ihoIe
tolerant in opinions and more agreeable III man
rers. and the average English clubman taxes
n similar view Of the irresponsible dlsclplhe oil
the nessroorn Why should man De a better
soldier or 3 more courteous gentleman from pe
,rsr borsewhipped on the parade ground olppeo
INTO q trough, rolled along the oafr8cA "lu'
s.rinred Of his uniform and driven naked INTO
his bedroom? Sceptics are not easily convinced
that wanton brutality can exercise fetnlhs III
s,,anoa ,non life and character. II is however
~, old fashioned English idea that men neeo 10
he toughened and that hardness and rousilileSS
tend 70 reform faults Of manner Inc excuse
will often be heard for an III tempered uiii4"--
,,e~11- general: He was not well raggeu 0ul-
3-e his early years Of service. In the eoliie
sn;rir the comment is not mfrequehLE p@S'N
- --a-, e,,n},s. Their early education was
defective: they We're coddled at nome anu u
nv nrfvate tutors. and the nonsense was not
knocked out Of them by thorousH O0U'9 "
Tagging in public schools.
rrba three victims Of subaltern discipline il
-re crenadier Guards did not take the coiNe"-
,io7a1 view Of the indignities TO which they We're
e1nosed They failed 10 discern the nehisilaII'
-e15encies Of reform in the degrading PUNISH
-,err administered by their torTnentors- iioeleu
with anger Inundated by sense or sell d odse
,,e,+ and resentful because the sons Oh us
....,,s4,e5 ,eers had been Knocked and chas-
sd as
,re,, had been vulgar plebeians. whose 1athers
- ,,,5e fortunes in trade or on Change, they
,,,l,aa 3, silence brooded over their disgrace
p~d finally told their fathers ana nhcIe VIA
Rad Farnened This was contingency "iIi0't
the ringIeaders Of the court martial hao ho'
,orecesr. for l. vas contrary to the traoltloils
.r rho Guards mess that tales should be tolo az
horne instead of having the champagne oroeIe"
ia with handshaking all around anu d ma
hummer for good fellowship and the f'iieiIlIe'
- ,,1;..,-,- lifa When the fathers were in
eo-,,oaa tho mothers We're also in the way OF
hearing about il and then smart society was
called 7Iron 10 take cogniZ2nce or the tripud''O7
re these ill used scions of noblhty- Inc '"o
4arbers and the uncle, If eft 10 theihSei>eS'
,tI,+ have called upon the colonel Of the regi-
,nent and cxacted from him piedge 10 sum
49,, .,a officers. address 10 them admonitions
- -,arni,gs and effect reconciliation in the
r,assroorn. The influences of the mothers meet
;. ,,-are less pacific Lady Roberts was APP
,,ro.,,bad and converted into an ally Rein
sooar,ents IF retticoat intriguers were recruited
in ,-ario,,s drawing rooms and country houses
,ay,naien Of vengeance was opeheo' i4ot
agai,,et the ringleaders IF the court marIai'
f,r+ against the colonel commanding the Ieei-
,nant The titled fathers and uncle joined III d
7o,..- IN 7 ord Roberts indicting Colonel hlnloch
fo- ,,n7+ness 20 command any regiment Smart
society, dancing like the daughter OF Herodlas
a. readouarters demanded ruthlessly an orlclal
head upon a charger
Colonel David Kinloch Of the 6renauleT 'u1I1s
was the eldest son Of Sir Alexander hllllocn, anu
one Of the most popular ana respectful oii0ei
j., t,e C;nards Brigade He had marched and
-. ~-Itt Lord Methuen from the Orange 10
The Nrodder and had highly distinguished MIN
Lore