Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-12-18
Blames The Officers.

| DAhHlCS NC OluScIS.
Representative Pearre believes that
| the proper way TO reach the evil of
hazing, running and tagging at the
| Naval Academy is to hold the officers
/ accountable for the maintenance of
/ discipline. He thinks it will be diff
/ cult to correct the evil 10y the punish
ment of che midshipmen as long as
/ the 'oode of honor" compelling them
| to such action as that for which they
| are to be punished is maintained. He
| holds that the officers are responsible
| for the existence of such a code and
that they should be held accountable
| for infraction of the discipline which
| it is their duty to teach and maintain
Representative Pearre introduced in
| the House on Saturday resolution
which is in part as follows:
"Whereas it appeared to be fairly
we'll ascertained from the testimony
| before said court martial that the prac-
| tice of tagging, hazing aud fighting
was common at said institution, and
that the same was winked at and con-
| nived at by the officers of said insti-
| tuition whose duty it is to maintain
discipline among the midshipmen at
tending there aud to train and perfect
them for service as officers in tho
| navy of the United States and to pro-
tect said midshipmen during their at
tendance at said institution in their
health and life, aud that the fault in
these cases and the failure to maintain
such discipline as would render such
occurrences impossible lays more at
the door of the officers of said insti-
tuition than upon the shoulders of the
midshipmen attending there:
Resolved, That the Secretary of
the Navy be, and he is hereby, request
ed and directed to report all .informa-
| tion in his possession concerning the
said hazing of the said Jerdone Pettus
KimSrough and the tight between
Midshipman Branch and Midshipman
Meri wether, and the result of any in
vestigation that he may have made, to
| the House Of Representatives together
with such recommendations as he may
care to make by which the conduct
and management of the United States
Naval Academy at Annapolis may be
so changed and reconstructed that con-
ditions thereat may be created under
which such occurrences as are herein
before referred to may be impossible.
Committee To Investigate
Resolved, That special commit
tee of five members of the House Of
Representatives be appointed by the
Speaker to have full power to send
for persons and papers and, if neces-
sary, to proceed to the Naval Academy
it Annapolis and elsewhere to thor
oughly investigate the foregoing sub
ject, and especially to inquire and as
certain what officials Of said institu-
tion, if any, are responsible for a
laxity of discipline which permits
such disgraceful and disastrous oc-
currences, and TO report TO the House
Of Representatives within thirty days
the result of such investigation, with
such accommodation rs may seem to
said committee to be advisable to es-
tablish a condition of discipline among
both the officers in charge of said in
stitution and the midshipmen attend
ing thereat as will certainly and for
ever prevent possible repetition of
such events, and to especially recon-
mend such action as may Law the
blame in such cases where il belongs,
so that in such cases hereafter the
| result may not end with the mere dis
| missal of promising young men from
| the institution, but may bring to book
and visit proper penalties upon the
| trained officers in charge Of such in.
stitution, for the conduct of which
they must be held responsible. -
First Class Will "Peach "
A rumor similar to the one that
went the rounds when Midshipmen
| Little. Lohand and Chaffee were dis
missed for hazing three years ago is
current in town and navy circles
| rhe rumor is that if a Congressional
| investigation is ordered in the haziBg
affairs at ths Academy the entire
complement of uprer classmen will
| openly admit having participated in
| the practice. TLe youngsters, per
haps, are not aware of what such an
act of open defiance would mean.
| When the three midshipmen were dis
missed certain of the members of the
same class said that the entire class
would resign if their members
were dismissed. This was regarded
as foolish proposition and did not
hold good.
1t is said that haziDg has greatly in
terferred with the studies of the