Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-12-16
THE SUPERINTENDENT BACK.
THE HAZING QUESTION STILL
BEING AGITATED.
Kimbrough Will Not Resign-His
Relatives Did Not IDtercede
With Naval Au-
horities.

Last night Admiral Sands returned
= the Naval Academy, where he had
been in conference with Secretary of
the Navy Bouaparte in Washington
on the matter of recent hazing devel-
opments at the Naval Academy. Sec
retary Bonaparte is determined that
iiazing shall be stopped at the Acad-
emy, and that midshipmen guilty Of
the practice shall be summarily dealt
with.
Whether the superintendent of the
Naval Academy or the Secretary Of
the Navy, or both conformity, have
the power summsrily 20 dismiss from
the Naval Academy without trial by
court.martial midshipman guilty of
haizDg," and whether such action,
if taken. would prove bar 10 pro-
ceedings in the civil courts fer assault
CT other criminal elements involved in
the offeuse, are two questions upon
which the Attorney General of the
Navy will render au opinion today.
A search is being made for evidence
against midshipmen who have hither-
to been guilty of hazing. and these,
as well as auy hereafter apprehended,
will be recommended for dismissal.
An immediate congressional investi-
CATION of hazing at the Naval Aoad-
emy probably will be made as provided
for in the resolution Of Representative
Loud, of Michigan.
Members of the Rules Committee
have agreed to delay consideration of
the resolution until they learn of Sec
retary Bonaparte's purpose.
It has developed that the naval au-
thorities are not entirely clear as to
their power in the premises, Secretary
Bonaparte, in particular being in
doubt as TO his authority to sum
marily dismiss" the midshipmen in
question, under the circumstances, ex-
oept through regular court-martial
proceedings. The doubt hinges on the
question as TO whether midshipmeu
are cline officers Of the navy. " They
are included in the list of line officers
in Section 1862 of the United States
Revised Statutes. and Section 1924
Revised Statutes provides that no Off
Ger of the navy shall be dismissed in
time of peace except through court
martial proceedings
The latest statute against hazing is
contained in an act Of Congress, ap-
proved March 3, 1908. That act pro
vides "that the superintendent of the
Naval Academy shall make such rules,
TO be approved by the Secretary of the
Navy, as will effeotually prevent the
practice of haziDg, and any cadet found
guilty of participating in or counte-
naucing such practice shall be sum
marily expelled from the Academy.
and shall not thereafter be reappointed
10 the corps OF cadets or be eligible
for appointment as a commissioned
officer of the army or navy or marine
corps until two years after the gradu-
alton of the class of which he was a
member -
The point has been made that this
law is inconsistent with prior statutes
for the government of the navy, in
cluding Section 1922 and 1924, United
States Revised Statutes, referred to,
and Secretary Bonaparte has submitted
the questions involved to the Attor-
ney General for an opinion.
The House committee on naval
affairs met yesterday to consider the
Loud resolution calling for an inves.
tigation Of conditions at the Naval
Academy, particularly with regard
to hazing, running, fist fights and the
like. 1t developed, however, that
the resolution. being one directing q
House committee to act. had been re-
ferred to the House committee on
rules. Unless the rules committee
takes action the naval affairs commit-
tee is powerless Sentiment IN the
H ouse seems to be Overwhelmingly IL
favor of an investigation such as il
proposed by the Loud resolution.