Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-12-15
WILL INSIST ON DISMISSAL.
ADMIRAL SANDS SAYS THEY
MUST ALL GO.
Says Their Acts Will Not Be Tol
Grated BY Him-Superin-
tendent At Navy
Department.

Admiral James H. Sands, superin.
tendent of the Naval Academy. went
to Washington today and viii urge the
approval of his recommendation that
the two midshipmen connected With
hazing be dismissed. He regards il
as most important that he should re-
ceiye the backing of the Department
aud Of Congress if anything is to to
done against hazing nc the Academy.
Jerdon p. Kimbrough. of Tennet
see, who was haZed, is progress ing
satisfactorily. His hazing was NEST
brutal one, and the fact that il was
done because the youth testified under
oompulsion before the investigating
board, makes the midshipmau's action
particularly destructive of discipline
mt the Academy. The great problem
that confrontS the officers charged
with preserving discipline at the Acaf
emy is Go make the midshipmau feel
a sense of duty in regard TO reports of
breeches of regulations. This. il is
generally known, many midshipmcn
refuse co do.
For that particular reason the dis.
missal of MidshipmRn Warren A. Van
derveer, of the second class. is regard.
ed as particularly necessary. though
he claims that he was not aware Of
the hazing. The Academy authorities
know very we'll that this was a case
where the midshipman on duty did
not want TO know what was going or.
Ii is admitted that Vauderveer found
young kimbrough in an unconscious
condition in his room and failed 10
make report OF the matter. Had
yJ.f,s
moro discretion and a higher sense of
duty, which led him TO make report
of the matter, Kimbrough would prob
ably have died The officers who in.
vestigated the matter have not the least
doubt of Vanderveer's failure TO per-
form his duty.
II is known here that. oddly enough.
feeling went the rounds among IL
midshipmen when Admiral Sands camc
to the Academy that he was not AN
opponent of bazing, but they have
found out very differently, and il is a
fact that the midshipmen are more
scared on account of their cherished
practices than they have ever been.
There has been an effort to show that
hazing has been on the increase since
Admiral Sands came TO the Academy.
This is not the case TO any degree ard
ItIN not bchhuFb VI NliAuK Aur
miral Sands has done or left undone,
noymatter how much the hazors and
their supporters may claim that il is
AS matter of fact the friends of
hazing really fear his methods and
that is their reason for making their
claim.
Under Admiral Brownson's superin-
tendency q pledge was exaoted from
the midshipmen that they would not
do any hazing. They simply changed
the name of the practice TO run
ming" ard continued It, A few of
the accustomed stunts were left out
but the worst part, including the com-
pulsory fighting was left. Certain of
the midshipmen continued the whole
of the hazinR process and defended
| themselves by saying that their pledge
had been extorted from them and was
not binding.
| Admiral Sands. on assuming his
present position, told the midshipmen
that he would not ask any further
| pledge from them on the matter
You are already under oath, he
/ said in effect, "to abstain from any
( practice forbidden under regulations.
/ A pledge will not make your Oblign
| tion stronger, in fact it will weaken
| it in your eyes by making 10 appear
that you were not bound by your oath
in the first instance / will insist ON
every regulation being carried cut.
Since then there has been some haz-
| ing, but Admiral Sands dealing with
| it has been direct, summary and
adequate. The cases Of Coffin and
Vanderyeer are typical Of the two
classes of offenders who will not bo
| tolerated by him-the hazer and the
protector of hazing. Unless highg
powers, and they are tic Pres ident,
the Secretary of the Navy aud Con
gress. Dullify his efforts by refusing
him strong backing, Admiral Sands
will do more by his present course T.
eradicate hazing than has ever beer
done in the history of the institution