The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-02-19
HAZING MUST STOP
At NAVAL ACADEMY
Representative Dick Offers
a Bill TO That End.
DISMISSAL THE PENALTY
No Cadet Expelled for That Cause to
Be Readmitted Until Two Years
After His Class Graduates.

Representative Dick OF Ohio making
good use again of the knowledge he gain
Cd while conducting the Congress in
ycstigation into hazing at the United
States Military Academy at West Point.
now proposes TO give the United States
Naval Academy at Annapolis. through
Congress. a dose OF the same medicine
that broke up the unmanly business with
the army cadets.
AS chairman OF the subcommittee of
the House Committee on Military AZ
fairs in charge of the West Point in
vcstigation he acquired an abundance OF
information about the whole business Of
hszing such as had not been secured be-
fore. and by means thereof was enabled
TO draft the bill which was the basis Of
tho Congress enactment That has prov
ed effective at the Military Academy. Il
put the stamp of the disapprovaI of the
country. emphaticalIy expressed by Con-
gress. upon all such performances, and
also strengthened the arm Of the au-
thorities 10 deal with the evil mos
scarchingly and thoroughly.
Naval Cadets as Bad
Now come the Naval Academy boys
needing the same sort OF treatment The
present third class az Annapolis seems
10 have revived hazing with some new
features OF its own devising; although il
is just TO note this is the first appear
ance OF the trouble at Annapolis for
several years. The matter came to the
public attention because Midshipman
Robert II. Pearson. of New Hampshire.
had his jaw broken in a smuggling match.
ia which Pearson was compelled to en-
gage a few weeks after he entered the
academy.
Commandant Brownson, the Naval
Academy superintendent. has used his
utmost authority to bring about better
relations, but the midshipmen of the
third class have been unwilling 10 ac-
cede 20 his request to keep their hands
on the new middies- These boys seem
TO think Il would be derogatOry to their
honor TO behave themselves, and conse-
Quently the situation has become some
what strained
There can be no doubt that Secretary
Moody and President Roosevelt will sus-
tain Commandant Brownson in his en-
deavors TO teach the youth who are re-
ceiving their education at the expense of
the nation that they must obey orders
and act like gentlemen. General Dicks
bill comes in TO strengthen the authority
OF the officers OF the Academy, and just
at the right time. One can see no rea-
son why IL should not promptly pass
both Nd
need evidently exists at Annapolis that
prevailed at West Point as shown by the
exhaustive investigation.
The brief but vigorous and compre-
hensive bill offered by General Dick is as
follows:
Text of the Bill.
The superintendent Of the Naval
Academy shall make such rules, to be
approved by the Secretary of the Navy.
as will effectually prevent the practice
OF hazing; and any cadet found guilty
OF participating in or encouraging or
countenancing such practice shall be
summarily expelled from the Academy.
and shall not thereafter be reappointed
10 the corps Of cadets, or be eligible for
appointment as a commissioned officer
In the army. OF navy. or marine corps
until two years after the graduation
OF the class OF which he was a mem
ber'-
This is the language Of the law against
hazing al West Point. and its appIica-
tion is most timely. since the student
sailors equally with the student soldiers
need 10 be taught that. while the United
States is educating them. IL rightfully
requires them TO do as the nation de-
sires.