Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-02-07
DISMISSAL is TOO HARSH.
PRESIDENT TALKS WITH CON-
GRESSI0NAL COMMITTEE.
he Thinks This Method Too Severe
For Furnishing The Hazers
at The Naval
Academy
DISAPPROVES OF THE HABIT
AMONG MIDSHIPMEN.

President Roosevelt believes that
dismissal is entirely too harsh a pun.
ishment for the offense of hazing al
the Naval Academy The President
in a letter 70 Chairman Hale and
Foss, respectively, of the Senate and
House Naval Affairs Committees.
urges that legislation be enacted at the
present session of Congress to reeu.
late the punishment for hazing at the
Naval Academy.
The President was induced to take
up the subject with the committees Of
Congress by reason of the facts sub
mitted TO him in the John Paul Miller
case. He pardoned Young Miller be.
cause he felt that hls dismissal from
the Academy would be a greater in
Justice than the midshipmau haS COM
united on the man he hazed. The
President expresses the hope that this
session of Congress will not end with.
out the enactment of legislation rem
edying the present difficulty as he
views it.
The President letter is too long for
the Capital to publish it in its entire
ty. Among other things the President
says:
Il heartily disspprove Of the Irac-
tice of hazing, and. in common with
all those inteFesed in the welfare of
the Academy, wish to see this practice
thoroughly eTadioated there. But
the punishment of dismissal is alto
Eether proportiopate to the oulpability
involved in some forms of hazing
In nanny cases these amount TO moth,
ing more than exhibitions Of boyish
mischief attended with no conse.
quenoes of any moment TO those hazed.
and indicating on the part of the
hazers only some exubeTauce of ami
NAL spirits, Unquestionably they
ought to be punished, fer uuder any
ciToums stances haziDg constitutes a
breach OF rules, aud the future officers
of our navy must be taught, first Of all
as a foundation for all other merits,
strict and unquestionable obedience.
But TO punish those faults of youth
by depriVing the young men concerned
of their career in life is to commit a
glaring injustice Moreover, it fre-
quently defeats the object of the law
itself by causing the offenders fault
TO be forgotten in the sympathy TO be
felt for his misfortune, so that it be-
comes hard to get a conviction, and
F%ss4drfR %Esnr 3ne Jfig il goeG5ajlned the prssP
this disproportionate punishment of
what may be trivial offense may re-
suit in depriving the Government of q
officer. on whose eduoati on
it has already expended several thous-
auds of dollars.
al do not mean that dismissal is
too severe a penalty for any form or
hazing; on the contrary, when hazlng
is mere pretext for brutality and IN.
wolves cruel and ignominious treat
ment of the less experienced, an there
fore more helpless, midshipmen, /
should be glad to see it punis shed even
more severely. But it seems clear TO
me that to impose dismissal as the
one invariable penalty tor the offense,
without any regard to the attendant
circumstances. is altogether lndefen-
sible. In the case of Midshipman
Miller the Navy Depart nent in rec
ommendipg his pardon expressed the
opinion that he ought TO be punlshed,
but that TO punish him with dismissal
would be a greater injustice, undsr
the circumstances OF his case, than %
let him go unpunished altogether.
share this opinion, and it has dictated
nv course in this instance
''I think further that it is an error
20 try midshipmen accused Of hazina
by rt-martial. There should be q
discre tionary power lodged in some
administrative officer or body to dea
summerily with such offenses In one
of our colleges or universities Is II
considered necessary that studeni
whose conduct is unsatisfactory, ant
who is believed to be an injury &
other students, should be found gniltl
beyond a reasonable doubt by judioia
| tribunal of an offense stated and estab
lished with technical accuracy before
| he can be separated from the instltu
tion Such q requirement would b
disastrous to the good order and dis
cipline of a college or university, ant
| there is even greater Likelihood of II
nroduciug these unfortunate result
at our Academy.
| .sWhether this discretionary author
ftv should be intrusted to the SecTe
/ tary of the Navy or to the superinten
| 6et subject TO the Seeretary's aI
| provaI. or to the academic council
with the like proviso, is OF altogethe
| subordinate importance. What seem
| 10 me of real moment and no less res
| URGENCY is that it should be lodge
| somewhere, and that the presen
cumbrous. uncertain and other1is
highly Objectionable method of en-
forcing the law against this partlcala
offense should be done away with.
"I see no objection. however TO th
| department's being allowed, IN II
discretion. to try midsbipnIen at tn
Academy by court-martiai for hazin
or other offenes, if by Ieaso
of peculiar circumstances the Secr'
tary of the Navy should think tn
course proper to attain the ends Of jui
tice / have written to you thus tnll
and frankly. because learn that thel
rs under consideration by your con
mittee a bill, or, perhaps, severl
bills, intended to remedy the pIesei
very unsatisfactory condition of Il
law. / express no opinion as to al
matters of detail connected with Il
suggested legislation. but WOULD $
with much regret the present sessit
of Congress end without some remec
being found for situation full
embarrassment for the Navy DepaI
ment and danger for the best interes
of the navy