The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-02

vestigation. They do not think the bill prepared and recommended by Secre- tary Bonaparte will be seriously com sidered. much less adopted. until Con- gress goes to the root of things at An napolis. It is learned on the best of authority that the Navel Committee is in possession of information showing that over fifty per cent of three classes at the academy have been involved more
 or less in the hazing scandals. The contention. therefore. Is that large number of these students are az guilty as the fifteen of twenty already piac- cd on trial and with but few exeep-
 tions, ordered expelled from the institu- tion
 Senators and Representatives respon- sih1a for the appointment Of the young men who have become inyoived m | trouble resulting in their expulsion are | complaining loudly that their ap- | pointees should be selected as victims ana made to suffer the extreme penal | ties where perhaps, two hundred or more other youngsters are just as guilty, but are likely to escape punish ! ment when the officers at Annapolis I come to the conclusion that enough I trials have been scheduled and the pub | lie and Congress are satisfied.
 | The acts of Congress now on the statute books that relate to hazing provide expulsion from the academy. There seems to be no getting around that fact. From certain quarters
 comes the demand that these acts be
 repealed. and that new law be frara- ed that vii give the Secretary of the
 Navy, and the officers detailed at the academy. greater and more discretion ary powers. But this is the very thing
 that most of the members of the House
 Naval Affairs Committee are unwilling
 tc grant. Their contention is that if this is done. 1t means that the authori- ties want a law to cover something that has happened. and that would be in the nature of ex-post-facto legis- lation that should not be tolerated for a moment
 One of the members of the House Naval Affairs Committee says that he Lis satisfied that it Is the sentiment of | the committee that an investigation cannot be much longer staved off. It's the only way to satisfy the public and Senators and Representatives general ly. He incifnes strongly to the opinion that eventually the House will have
 an opportunity to vote upon the ques- ton
 Speaker Cannon stin opposes the proposition for an investigation. In all his long and eventful career he has been opposed to investigations, but if
 the Rules Committee stands in the
 way of one in this case the Congress- man quoted believes that majority of
 thes Naval Affairs Committee will take
 the bull by the horns. and that will
 mean that unless the Speaker. General
 Grosvenor and Mir. Dalzell yield, there is likely to be a rumpus that will pale
 the recent instructions over the Phil < ippiHe tariff and joint Statehood into
 insignificance.
 Inqufry shows that the resolution fr1r 8far. { ah..o
 emy in greatest favor among the mem
 beTs of the Naval Affairs Committee i:
 that of Representative Loud of Mlchi-
 gan. It is much shorter one than
 that introduced by Representative
 Pearre of Maryland. Mr. Loud's reso. Tuition provides that the Committee or Naval Affairs be directed to make a [ thorough investigation of the situation
 and conditions at the Academy, ana
 especially to ascertain and report
 whether there has been violation of law and the regulations governing thu Academy, and particularly whether
 there has been hazing, Tagging, run.
 ming and class fist fighting in practic' there. and the knowledge of and re sponsibility of the officers of tn.
 Academy for any conditions found. Suci committee may act by a sub-commit
 tee, If found advisable, and may si
 at, the Capitol or at the Naval Acad emy, or elsewhere, and may send fol persons and papers and examine wit
 nesses, and take such other action al 1 may be found necessary
 The resolution of Mir. Pearre provides that a special committee of five mem , bers of the House shall be appointed , by the Speaker. The Maryland Rep
 resentative insists that If an investiga 2 tion is ordered on the lines of his reso 1 lution. Congress will get at the roo 7 of the evil. He wants the officers O } the Academy investigated vigorously with view of finding out whether O : not they are responsible for "a laxit! r of discipline which permits such dis 3 graceful and disastrous occurrences. 3 Mir. Pearre also wishes to make shor work of the proceeding. as his resolu 3 tion stipulates that the investigation
 shall be concluded within thirty days He would also have the Secretary o ] the Navy send to the House every scra of information received at the depart Z ment in relation to hazing at Annap ,, ,, oils.
 . About a month ago MT. Candler o ,, Mississippi made an animated speed in the House on the subject of hazini
 and other alleged practices at tn : Academy At the time Mir. Candle
 said he could not vouch for the trut
 | ba