The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-14
CADET OFFICERS
ARE RESPONSIBLE ! || !
Nearly Three Hundred Members
Of Upper Glasses At Annapolis
Guilty Of Hazing.
B Bro IS cENsuRElD.
Officers Now In Charge Praised
For Discipline They Are
Maintaining
.BRoWNsoN IS cENsuRED
IA, Assocloted 1,re,s.,

(By Associated Press.)
WARRINGTON, March 13.-The Sub
committee named by the House Commit
tco on Naval Affairs to investigate hnsins
at Annapolis. made Its report to tho
whole committee this morning through
Representative vrceand. OF New York,
chairman OF the Investigating committee.
Rear Admiral Brownson Is censured In
the report for exacting a pledge from
inidshipmen not 70 engage in hazing AMI
for allowing the boysito think the pledge
was personal TO him and did not hold
after Rear Admiral Sands became super
intendent at Ahnapolis. Lieutenant q, p.
Snyder Is also censured mildly for having
countenancsd haxing.
Nearly Two Hundred Are Guilty.
Graduated punishment for hazlng is
recommended by the subcommittee, which
Is firmly OF the opinion that the present
system OF expelling all midshipmen found
guilty OF ha1ing Is vicious Rear Admiral
Sands and other officers now at the
academy are praised for tho discipline
they are maintaining, and the report
shows that cadet officers have been chief
ly responsible for llazing.
AS n result OF It's examination OF witt
nesses and records, the subcommittee
found that 2s1 members OF the .threo
upper classes at the academy. including
the class which was recently graduated.
have been guilty OF hnzing. and on trial
could be expelled from the academy.
The result would be q great and unneces-
sary loss to the government, in the opln-
Ion OF the members OF the committee, who
found that many OF the ofrenses were
trivial.
The report reviews Mt length the con-
ditions which existed at the academy
when Admiral Sands became superin.
tendent In July. 1905. and says nearly I'LL
the disciplinary officers were then new.
When the upper cassmen returned from
their practice cruise In September. haziny
broke out and continued until November,
when 1t eliminated In the brutal treat
ment OF young Kimbrough. The commit
tee is OF the opinion that practically all
the upper classmen were implicated In
hazlng then. although the affairs OF the
academy seemed to be moving smoothly
until the Kin1orough case The report
says hazing doubtless existed under Ad-s
nlirai Brownson's superintendency. 1t
was not physical hazing, but OF n char
acter more dernoralizing to discipline and
clearly within the attorney-general's |
definition Of hazing.
Snyder Censured.
The report makes II clear that fall
ure of cadet officers to perform their
duties. makes 1t impossible for naval
officers In charge to maintain discipline
and denounces the code of honor which
permits cadet officers to shun their du-
ties. -
According to surgeons records In sick
quarters. only seven fights ha. been
recorded there since October /. l.. /. and
the report says 1t is impossible to find
that the number OF fights, was larger. It |
is suggested that surgeons should report |
more fully on injuries. even though, slight.
which seem to be caused by lighting,
with the exception OF Lieutenant Sny.
der. disciplinary officers are exonerated 4
from connivance at hazing. He ;is charged |
with having indicated TO upper classmen |
that fourth classmen might be disciplined
by upper classmen for laughing nj m |
order. - -
Not Satisfactory.
The report deplores the tendency =,
midshipmen to follow the tradition Of
the academy. and says the opinion az fin
as body on the subject of |
nazing IS not satisfactory. The present
senior, senior class Is especially commended. |
however. for It's action against hazlng.
Present hazing laws ave frankly de-
nouneed as hindrance to discipline, and
CONGRESSIONAL interference is declared to
pc injurious to the academy. Changes |
IN tne laws are, suggested, which Will \
make It possible to purfish eaci, case as |
1t deserves. "a \