Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-07

washington, rep. !.-UnleSS con-
| gress modifies the law against hazing
the secretary of the navy may be fore
| from the naval academy within the
next month, in addition to the eight
| who already have suffered this penalty
and the three whose cases are await
ing action.
What is worrying the navy depart
| ment is that il the present law is al
| lowed to stand the service will suffer
| by the wholesale disrnissals. Secre-
| tary Bonaparte, in addition to calling
| the attention of congressman to the
situation. laid the matter before the
! president with the result that the lat
ter yesterday made public a letter urg
ing that congress modify the law
against hazing at the naval academy.
Dismissal Often Unjust.
The president points out that in
some instances it is manifestly unjust
to subject a midshipman convicted of
hazins, to dismissal from the academy,
as frequently the punishment is quite
disproportionate to the offense COM
mittecI. He suggested, further. that it
is an error to try a midshipman accus-
ed of hazing by court martial His
idea is that tie power to deal with
such cases ought to be lodged in some
administrative officer or body to deal
Summarily with the cases.
ind Ia fol.
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 his dismissal from
the academy would be a greater injus-
tice than the midshipman had commit
ted on the man he hazed.
Simultaneously with the publication
of President Roosevelt's views it was
announced that two more midshipmen
had been dismissed from the naval
academy as the result of court mar
tial findings on charges of hazing, Sec
rotary Bonaparte having signed the
formal orders Diminishing Midshipman
Richard r. De Saussure of the First
South Carolina district and Midship-
man George Fl. Melvin of the Fifteenth
Illinois district.
Court Martial Mistake.
In his letter upon hazing to Repre-
sentative Foss, and Senator Hale, the
president says:
II have directed that a pardon be
issued to John Paul Miller, a midship-
man at the United States Naval aca-
deny, recently convicted of 'hazing,
and sentenced to dismissal from the
academy. In the discussion of this
case my attention has been called fore
IDLY to the unsatisfactory condition Of
the law on this subject. A midship-
man accused of hazing, whether the
extent of his injury be great or small,
must be tried by court martial. The
findings of such court, if approved
by the superintendent Of the academy,
are declared final and cannot be re-
viewed by the secretary of the navy,
or even me, and neither the court it
self not the superintendent nor the
secretary of the navy has any discre-
ton as to the punishment to be inn
posed.
at is declared that in all cases of
conviction the offender shall be dis
missed and be ineligible for appoints
ment as a commissioned officer of the
army, navy or marine corps during
specified time These provisions of
law seem to me neither just nor judi
cious, and am seriously concerned at
the injury which / fear may be done
to the discipline of the academy and
even to the future efficiency of the
navy, if they are permitted to remain
in force without amendment.
IT heartily disapprove of the prac-
tice of hazing, and, in common with all
those interested in the welfare of the
academy, wish to see this practice
eradicated there But the
punishment of dismissal is altogether
to the culpability in
volved in Some forms of hazing. In
many cases these amount to nothing
more than exhibition Of boyish mis-
chief. attended with no consequences
of any moment to those hazed and
indicating on the part of the hazers
only some exuberance of animal spir-
it's"