Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-16
The Hazing Was Slight.


In the letter referred to in the committee
report the Secretary of the Navy said in
part: I'D, 49,
II have examined with care the evidence
in each case. and find no substantial diff
ferences in the facts. In each case the ac-
cused selected a midshipman of the lowest
class who had been guilty of some minor
irregularity, such taking fruit from the
mess room, being surly or diSobedient in
the ranks. and the like, ordered him to the
room of the accused, and there directed
him to repeat in each case one or more of
certain exercises punishment for his
misconduct. The exercises may be de-
scribed as follows: The sixteenth exercise
where while standing erect, one bends the
knees until the thighs touch the heels and
rapidly rises again; standing upon the head;
doing the cruise where one lies on the
back and raises one leg to position per-
pendicular to the body, lowering slowly I'M
til within one inch of the floor, and rails
ing 1t again to the same position: hanging
upon the wardrobe by the hands. These
exercises were repeated very many times
No injury was incurred, except that the
muscles of the leg were somewhat stin the
next day. The exercises which were per-
formed were legitimate gymnastic exercises
not unusual at the academy. They were
performed under compulsion and for the
purpose of INJECTING punishment. There
was no right on the part of the accused to
infiict any punishment whatever for a vfo-
lation of discipline, as punishment can be
inflicted only by order of the superintend-
ent. Each OF the accused was an officer in
the corps Of midshipmen, and 1t was his
duty to take notice of breaches of dis
cipline and report them, instead Of inf1ict-
ing punishment for them.
From this statement Of the cases 1t will
be seen that IL discretion In the infection
of punishment had been vested either in
the court-martial or the department. a
lighter punishment than dismissal from the
service might have been inflicted; but this
cannot be said with certainty, In view of
the great Importance which has been at
tached to the total eradication of the prac-
tice of hazing There was. however, under
the law, no discretion as to punishment"
Tnree separate times enorts have been
made to induce the House to set day for
consideration of the bill, but the attempts
have been uniformly unsuccessful.
The Presidents Massage.
President Roosevelt recently sent to the
Senate and House message on the SUBJ
Ject, in which. after reviewing all the cir
cumstances. he says:
Upon review of the facts In this case
concur generally In the conclusions Of the
Secretary of the Navy and the committee
on naval affairs with respect to the charac-
ter OF the offenses committed by these mid
shlpmen. Their acts owere In plain viola
ton of the letter of the statute, but the
case presented is not an aggravated one,
and believe that their severance from the
academy, their reduction to the foot Of the
class Of which they were members and
their entry into the naval service without
formal graduation will be adequate punish
ment. g. \
1.-THE draft of a bill granting authority
for the appointment of these midshipmen
to the navy under conditions and restric-
tons believed to be suff cient to guard the
interests of the service Is inclosed for the
consideration of the Congress.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
WHITE HOUSE, January IL, 1905"
Opposition to the Measure.
In view of the foregoing utterance from
the White House, renewed efforts will be
made to securesconsideration of the bill
at an early date, and this time with fair
prospects of success. But there is bound
to be decided opposition to the bill when
1t comes up Notwithstanding the unani-
nous official opinions on the subject, and
the passage of the bill will be earnestly
contested by those members of Congress
who believe that the precedent estab-