Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-02-23
SESSIONS MAY CONTINUE.
Congressional Investigation Still In
Progress at The Naval
Academy.

xious to hear the testimony Of Surgeon
James Q. Byrnes, and also Of those
officers of the department of discipline
who have not already testified Ii is
possible that the committee will fin
ish its work this Afternoon, but there
may be a session tomorrow The
committee may also have one or two
meetings in Washington in order TO
examine witnesses who are not sta
toned at the Naval Academy.
Five witnesses were examined by
the Congressional investigating com.
mittee at the Naval Academy, the lar
gest number yet called before that
body in one day. The witnesses were
Lieut.. Commander l.. II. Durell, of
the depaTtm tment Of disoipliue Mr.
Joseph r. Williams, of Patterson, n
J late member If the first class,
and Midshipmen Arthur \. GRrcelon,
Jr., William p. Hays and Frank II
Roberts. the first classmon who are
under restrictions OH account of being
suspected of hazing. Lieut.. Comman-
der Durell was examined, rs were
Captain Oolyoooresses and Lieut..
Commander McVay, as 10 the attitude
of the discipline officers towards haz-
ing.
Mr.. Williams volunteered his testi-
mony. He was a member of the e,class
which graduated on February IL last,
but was dismissed about two months
previous to graduation, having re.
ceiyed large number of demerits and
also being deficient in some studies.
he claims that he was not properly
dismissed and also has ether griev-
ances Williams testified before the
Meriwether court martial that he had
heard an officer, the late Commander
q. e. Colahan, tell a midshipman
that lIe should have personally resent.
ed an insult from another midship.
man.
The three midshipmeD who are un-
der suspicion OF hazing were summon.
cd before the committee as il was
known that they wished to be heard
The three are naturally anxious to
know what charges are against them
and when they will be tried. How
ever, the members of the committee
were not able to inform them on this
subject, as they have not seen the
specifications and have nothing to do
with the delay in the trial. No ac.
tion has been taken by the third Gle IS
looking towards a stand against haz-
ing, nor is such action likely. Il is
rumored that the class has deliberate.
ly refused to take this position The
fact that no pledge has yet been given
by the third or fourth class TO dis
continue hazing at the Academy indi-
Gates that the effort of the authorities,
backed up by the Navy Department
and Congress, has not yet made it cer-
tain that the practice is ended for all
time.
The second class, whose members
are now the midshipmen officers of
the brigade, passed resolution in
which they pledge themselves to OPP
pose the practices of hazing, tagging
and class fighting, but the class ex-
pTessly stated that it did not conoede
the principle of hazing to be wrong
The under classmen seem to hold to
this view aud as they are not mid
shipmen officers, many Of them refuse
to see that they are doing anythiDg
wrong in engaging in hazing If they
get a chance. Their belief is one
which thoroughly impregnates the
corps of midshipmen and which has
| been shared by many officers at the
| Academy, who took the view that the
whole offense was getting caught-that
the offender took his chance of pun.
| ishment but did not commit any often
SO against honor in participating iD
| hazing, fighting or frenching. This.
however. is decidedly not the view of
| Admiral Sands
However, a most effective step has
| been taken in securing the action OF
the seniors. Hazing cannot go on to
any extent with the midshipmen Off
GERS active in opposition to it and the
| class of 1907 has set a precedent which
is likely to be followed by succeeding
| classes and will seriously cripple the
hazing system if it does not kill il.
| Formerly it was the unwritten law
Of the Naval Academy that midship-
men on duty should not interfere with
hazing and class fights and not even
report his own classmates for french.
| ing Now the senior class has accept
ed the opposite view and its members
regard it as an honorable obligation
TO report all violations of regulations
| that come to their attention.
Mldshipmen William II Boyd, of
| Georgia, Ill. and Charles NJ james, Ct
| Grinnell, Ia, both members of the
| third class, who have been convicted
| Of hazing, but tho records in whose
cases have not yet been approved by
| the Secretary of tie Navy, were today
released from close arrest aud allowed
| to go anywhere within the limits OF
the a ,ademy grounds.