Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-01-26
WILL BREAK Up HAlING.
ADMIRAL ]. h. SANDS MAKES
A STATEMENT.
Advocates Before House Committee
An Inquiry Be Made
Into The Past.
BELIEVES he CAN STAMP OUT
HAZING.

Nothing short of business of grave
Importance could have called Admiral
Sands superintendent of the Naval
Academy TO Washington Yesterday
when the visit of the Chinese officers
was scheduled to take place.
Admiral Sands was before the House
Committee On Naval Affairs all day,
giving his views on hazing. The
hearing was behind closed doors. Ad-
miral Sands said ttat soon after he en-.
tered upon his present duties as Su-
perintendent of the Naval Academy.
when the first evidence of hazing be-
gan TO develop, he discovered that the
midshipmen contended that they felt
absolved from the personal promises
which they had made 60 his prede-
cessor. Admiral Brownson, TO the
effect that they would not indulge any
further in hazing.
Admiral Sands said he discovered
also that the midshipmen Contended
that they understood their pledge 70
Admiral Brwonson Co be not to in.
dulge in hazing in the nature of ply
sical punishment. as distinguished
from other forms of humiliation and
boyish pranks. He was given to nm
derstand that the midshipmen of the
upper classes thought Furthermore, or
at least claimed 60 think, that the
taking of the cath upon their entrance
into the Naval Academy was purely
formal and perfunctUry and in no
sense binding upon their consoiences
Admiral Sands told the committee
that no evidence of tho reported re-
currence of fist fighting by the UPPER
classes had come to him otherwise
than by rumor, except as set forth in
"a ~ 40
Branch trial He admitted that he
had made no special investigation to
ascertain swhether the so.cnlled fiet
fighting under the code had been ia
existence at the Naval Academy prior
10 the time ne became Superintendent.
because he believed he had taken steps
that would completely root out all
bazing or any "code Of honor, - as
we'll as class fighting in the future.
He felt that it would be useless 60
make any inquiry into the distant
past and declared his positive belief
that he had effeetually stamped out
hazing so far as the present aud the
future were concerned
After the session yesterday member
of the Committee said that the most
important feature of Admiral Sands
statement was that no attempt had
oeen made 20 ascertain the culpability
of officers stationed at the Academy
by anyone ''from the Secretary Of the
Navy down. " Other members said
that while this inference might fairly
be drawn from what was said, the
Admiral did not say so in so many
ords. He admitted, however. that
he had made no investigation in this
direction, for the reason that there has
been no statement before him indi-
eating connivance on the part Of Off
GERS, and in the absence Of such state.
ment, did not think it worth while to
proceed.
This part of the Admiral's state
ment created much interest among
the members OF the committee, some
OF whom expressed surprise that Secre-
tary Bonaparte had made no move
along The line indicated. He added
that he favored the passage Of legis.
lation graduating the punishment for
offenses of this character, so that a
midshipman guilty of a comparatively
slight violation of the rules would
not have dismissal visited upon him.
Admiral Sands denied that the dis
cipline at the Academy had suffered
because of the court martial, adding
| that this would be shown by the mark
ings of the midshipmen.