Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-10-28
THE MISUNDERSTANDING
THOUGHT TOBE THING OF THE
PAST IN NAVAL ACADEMY
REGIME
First Class Takes Active Measures 4
gainst Pracfice Seniors N0luat1rIIs -
Put an End to Code

Put an End 10 Code
| II is probable thar hazing az the Ma
val Academy has been made thing
Of the past and beyond abs possibility
of a revival as = regular system oy
the definite action Of the present first
class in resolving to continue the
course Of the first class which pre-
ceeded il in cooperating with the an
thorities 10 preve1t ary Occurrences
! whatever Of the practice.
This action was taken ut a resent
meeting OF abe class. Of y hich Midship-
man A. Hugh Douglas, captain 90
| the football team. is president and
the affairs Of the student body az the
| Naval Academy. As we'll a. the liseI-
| pline Of the institution Is going along
| very well without the existeuce x the
System which was supposed to be an
1 essential part Of its workings
The special significance of the action
| Of the first class j. that is the brst class
| TO take this deliberate aetiou when
circumstances were not of such = ma
ture as to make any particular reason.
/ other than the propriety 81 H. for e
| to be taken. Tne class Of 1906. the
| first 20 definitely oppose hazing. took
/ this action after the courts martial
4 81 AIN lAAktb lAkA - A@@N AAAA AAtN aAAt*
| months of 1896 had been in session
| and had ordered the expulsion %
| number of midshipmeB. It was done
| in a measure as the result of the
| efforts Of the President AMI mem
hers of Congress 10 obtain some spe-
| cific- pledge from the midshipmen
| body in order that reason eould be
1 secured for putting aB end 10 the WORK
of the court martial which Threatened
to deciminate the institution None
Of these reasons now exist, no pressure
was put upon the class. and It's acting
represents the voluntary purpose II is
members based upon the realization
that hazing is wrong and injurious 10
the Naval Academy.
Another point Of importance in con
nection with the action of the hrss
class is that this class, then the second
class, steadfastly declined 20 take
pledge To do all in its power to pre-
vent hazing. when that declaration
was made By the first class last year
President Douglas and other members
| Of the class were led before the t0n-
gressional Committee of Inquiry and
were urged By It's members 70 use
their influence to have their class
take action backing up the seniors
second class, now The first class, de-
clined to take this action. gi = ing As
a reason thai they thought it improper
| to interfere in the matter the nrst
/ class, both by Academy regulation
and tradition. having charge of sueh
matters.
1t was said by some AZ that time
| that the class. as . matter Cf faet-dfd
not want hazing stopped and declined
TO take the pledge because ft Was
| waiting for a chance to revive hazing-
This has been shown 20 Be absolutely
| incorrect by the recent action ~ t1s
| class. As a matter of fact. the class
| has taken no specific pledge 10 the
| authorities TO abstain from h1zinE-
| but has simply recognized by the ae-
| tiOn Of the class that hazing IS IN sio-
lati0n Of the laws Of the country and
| the oath which each uidsbipman t0ok
| upon entrauce To the Academy.
| II is weIl-known here that haziuE
1 cannot exist without the c01niv1nee
OF the frst class, whose members are
1 the cadet officers and are on duty Tn
| the dOrmitOries- The action q the
class. therefore. means that there sill
be no baziHg this year. Lt means fsr-
| ther that the course laid down by tire
n
the practice Is much less likely 20 -
revived With every year which rasses
without its appearance
whatever control Of the undsrelass
men i now exercised by any mid
shipmen IS strictly within the regula-
| tfons Of the institution In soue
ways this control has been exte1dsa-
such a system having been pur IN
practice during the superineDderey
OF Admiral sands and continued
under Captain Badger. a frst class
man who - q cadet officer n0N has
the right 70 caution an under elassm4B.
particularly q fourth el4ssr1aD wben
he is doing anything which IS rot fr
accord with his position zs n.Idsi4lr'-
man. They are given fuIl control A.
meals. in the dOEmftories and ~ al
other tfmsE. but are directed 70 exsr-
| else this control IN an 0fIlceE-like and
proper way. In .this way the upper
| ctassmen ara sch00led in the exercise
of discipline and the Hnderciassmen
are taught that they must obey The
| orders OF those above tnem- There IS
| none 0f the abuse Of authority wbieil
| was conneceted with the bazing sys-
tenn.
/ Tbs cOufeEing of fuller powers upon
| the cadet officers Of rIe upper class -
a recognition Of the only germ a
| good n the baziDz systeHn,tbe feels1g
that the new midshipmen shouid learn
to respect their superiors-shar =
those who had been In the servies
longer and were presumed % snow
| more about the customs Of the servics
| and have its interests more a. heart.
The system IS working well and 4
is safe 10 sag that 10 one except 4
few who naturally desire to Imposs
| on those weaker than themselves
have any wish 70 rest0rs the bazin-
| system