Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-02-24
THE COURT TO REASSEAHE.
Growing Sentiment Against Hazing
Is Apparent at Naval
Academy.

standing an almost universal belief to
the contrary, that the court martial
which has tried a number of midship-
men on charges of haziBg and convict
ed most Of them, viii re-assemble
aud that a number of midshipmen will
be brought before it This is likely
to be the case even though the meas.
ure which has passed the Senate be.
comes a law, though it is possible that
a new order detailing the court may
have to be issued 1t is not probable,
however, that much change, if any,
" i'll be made IN the personnel Cf the
court.
This assertion is made because un-
der the proposed law the penalty of
dismissal remains for serious cases of
hazing and il is stated on authority
which though not official is thorough.
ly trustworthy that the record OF the
board of investigation discloses cases
of hazing against a number OF mid
shipmen quite as serious as the worst
cases which have already been tried
These viii, it is thought, te marked
by superintendent Sands for dismissal
aud viii, Of course, avail themselves
| of their right under the bill as pro-
posed to ask for a court martial.
At any rate no order has issued to
the case if there had been no need for
| its further activity. Admiral Sands
could have exercised his power at any
! time and his failure to do So as we'll
as the refusal of tho diplomas 70 tie
three members of the graduating class,
| indicates almost conclusively that
| more midshipmen must face the court
martial. In connection with this the
| question of whether or not hazing is
dead at the Naval Academy or only
| sleeping, Il is interesting to note the
significance of the distinct refusal Of
| the second class to condemn the prin-
ciples OF hazing and the refusal Of the
two lover classes to take any action
against it whatever.
The second class, now the senior
class at the institution, did agree to
| rigidly enforce tue regulations, but
made it plain in their resolution that
| they took this position because ttey
regarded it as their duty as midship.
| men officers and not because they de-
sired to see the practice stopped Al.
| though it is known to be the yery
| strong wish of the authorities aad of
| tile members of Congress that the
| third class should follow suit, they
have failed to do so and it is stated
that they are UNIV illing to take the
| stand. Granting that the members OF
| the second class are sincere, and ii is
/ apparent that they are, the authorities
| have gained to this degree. that the
midshipnen officers are now on their
side aud can be relied upon to report
| hazing aud fighting, which has net
heretofore been the case.
The point arises, however, that -as
| only q limited number of midshipmen
| officers are OH duty at time, it is
quite possible that il the two next
lower classes are on the lookout TO
| seize opportunities TO haze, will it
not be nearly as easy for them to do SO
Us il has been for hazing TO 90 on un,
| der the eyes Of commissioned officers
| for so many years rherupper class.
men have made it plain to the Juniors
| that the CID rates are still to be main
| tained, that they are II abjure Lover S
Lane and female society, walk on the
| inside OF the stairway and do or left
undone the other things which the
unwritten law cnforces With no
coeroive force to SEQ that these rules
| are performed, some OF the under class
men are likely to forget them and the
question of how they can be made 10
keep them in their recollection will
arise. 1t is then that there will be a
/ real test of whether or not hazing still
exists in the Naval Academy.
Another source of uncertainty lies in
| the attitude of the present fourth
class and the position which it's mem
bsrs will take when a new class enters
in May and September. The persis.
teucy of hazing arises from the unwill-
ingness of midshipmen who have
| themselves been hazed to consent to
| fOTego the hazing of the next class
The sting of the humiliation to which
| they have been put remains until they
have alleviated it by hszing others
Then they can laugh over the whole
thing and admit that they have been
hazed but have gotten back at the
next clas. In other words class re-
CARDS itself as disgraced if it accepts
| hazing and does not pass on it.
The members of the present fourth
class are the only midshipmen VINO
have beet hazed themselves but have
had no opportunity of getting even. It
remains to be seen whether or not thev
will he content to be known as the
class which was the last to be hazed.
However, there is strong ground far
the belief that although there NAV
be a sporadic hazing at times within
the next few years, hazing, as a uni
versal custom at the Naval Academy,
has ceased for good Aomiral Sands,
with the aid of the officers of the de-
partnent of discipline, has shown the
mids lipmen that the Academy can get
along without hazing aud there will
always be the memory of the time
when there was no hazing at the in
stitution. This has been accomplish
ed without securing any pledges but
by the simple and direct method Of
enforcing regulations as they exist.
The midshipmeu knew that the au.
thorities have in their control means
by which hazers can be detected and
punished and the imminent fear Of
boards of investigation and courts
martial, coupled with a real and
growing sentiment against hazirg as
a practice which has appeared among
some of the midshipmen, will, it is
hoped and believed gradually bring
about the time when hazing viii be a
memory.