Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-07
CADETS MAY SMOKE
RULES AGAINST TOBACCO AT
WEST POINT HAPPILY AMENDED.
Cigars and Pipes Permitted During Re-
lief From Quarters-New Rule Re-
ceived With Great Satisfaction.

An important change In the rules of the
United States Military Academy is noted
in the following dispatch to the New York
Sun from West Point, September 6: Great
Is the rejoicing in the cadet corps. On FRI
days parade an order published an
nouncing that cadets are permitted to use
tobacco during relief from quarters within
the barracks limits 1t was also announced
that cadets would be permitted to buy to-
Dacco and pipes from the post store. The
order came as complete surprise to every
body at the academy, except Col. Mills, the
commandant. 1t was the result of recon-
mendaticn made by Col. Mills to the Secre-s
tary of War month or more ago. 1t went
into effect on Saturday morning.
For twenty-three years no restriction
upon the freedom of the cadets has been
mere irkSome than the prohibition of the
of tobacco. 1t was impossible to en-
force the rule. Smoking the sly has
been the practice of almost every cadet
In the academy throughout his course.
Most of 1t has been cigarette smoking. The
penalty for being caught smoking cigar
cites or any other form of tobacco has
varied with the superintendent of the
academy Under Col Mills the penalty has
been six extra tours of duty. Every time
a cadet has been caught smoking he has
had to walk with gun on his shoulder for
two hours a day for six days in the hours
which he would otherwise have had for his
recreation. He has also received from five
to seven dement's on his record.
Cadets Broke Rules.
1t was the opinion of the superintendent
and of other members of the faculty that
good deal less harm would come from
the free of tobacco in pipes than from
the secret use of cigarettes. In their study
of the ways and methods of the cadet AMI
ma. they have been led to observe that
many boys who would not otherwise want
to smoke have felt that the restriction WAS
rot a reasonable one and have gone to
fnh ron k a- ffar,
Now that there is element of daring and
adventure in the use of tobacco it is
thought that the young men will find that
smoking has lost much of its charm.
Cigarettes and cigars will not be sold in
the commissary stores The supplies there
will be limited to pipes and pipe topaccos
1t is the hope of the authorities thai when
1t is made easy for the cadets to get all the
pipe smoking they want the compir;Itlvs
difficulty of importing cigarettes Will dis
courage their u e.
OF course the publication of the order
was an immediate incentive TO most ~ me
youngsters to make immediate and urge
OF the privilege. Smoke wreaths float
ed from many windows today in the lee
ration Eouls. The order confines the Hso
of tobacco to the barracks limits. But this
does not mean that the luxury of \ pipe
may not be enjoyed except under roof
The court and the barracks area arr free
ground, where youth may assert It's nan1-
ness by putting smoke at the sky.
Graduates who have visited the academy
within the last two days rejoiced exceed
ingIy over the change. One of them said:
Blow at Cigarettes.
ut is a move straight in the direction OK
doing away with lot of hypocriticu n3T-
sense 1t is a blow at the cigarette habit,
and it will remove one of the most irrttat
ing forms of espionage. OF course, the
Youngsters will smoke their heads III tor
the next few days, but when the novelty OF
the thing has passed there will. think, To
less smoking certainly less cigarette smok-
ing than has been done in spite of The reg
ulations. OF course, the w. &. 4. L. VIII
scream with horror. There will be- lovely
times for a while. but the Secretary of War
has gone abroad, and it isn't likely that
any one will rescind the order before ho
comes back. By that time the fewer or
the good ladies ought to have cooled.
An officer of the army Is rather apt 70
be user of tobacco, and there Is no Reason
why he shouldn't be. The extremists will
at once draw analogies with the rum habit
and will ask whether there Is to be an
academy ginmill But that is nonsense. As
a matter of fact, it is a mighty good thing
that the boys, who are going to use tobacco
anyway, and who ARE old enough to know
how to use 1t mildly and without damage
to their physical systems should nave an
impetus given to the forming Of tbs pipe
habit. 1t is the healthiest and asst OBJ
jectionable form Of smoking. and the pipe
smoker is usually an indoor smoker aLd
less offensive to non-smokers than one who
depends on cigars and cigarettes"