The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-08-06
ANAN|AS
CLUB MAY HAVE NEW
MEM sER
Before West Point Epi-
sode is Finished
Loeb Says President
Approved Dismissal Of
Cadets--RooseveltSaYs
Not-Wright Asserted
Rights Of Department.

Rights of Department.
Oyster Bay, Aug. 3.-President
Roosevelt caused to be given out at
the executive Office the following
statement, disclaiming having taken
any action whatever in the matter of
the recent dismissal of the eight ca
diets from the military academy at
West Point ON chargessof hazingS =
'No action whatever has been TAX
en- by the president in the cases Of
the cadets. The statements that
they we're originally ordered dismiss
ed and that they had been ordered
kept, are equally erroneous. An ap-
peal was originally made to the pres
ident to interfere. He declined to
take any action or to interfere in any
way until the secretary has express
ed his opinion, the view of the de-
partment then being, seemingly, that
the cadets should be turned out. but
the secretary not having come to any
final decision. The secretary noti-
fed the president that instead of
making any report, he would like to
discuss the matter with the president
in person. He accordingly came on
and the discussion was held. but no
finalgdecision was made, the secretary
stating that he was not able to make
final recommendation in all the
cases and preferred to make none as
regards any until he could do it as
regards all. The president has not
yet heard finally from the secretary,
and therefore of course, has come to
no final decision. This is the first
announcement that the president has
made N the matter at all, and he
has never at any time. come to any
decision one way or the other, except
ing to state that he would probably
follow the views of the department"
In view Of the foregoing statement,
1t is interesting to note that on July
25, Secretary Loeb announced at the
executive Office that the president
had approved the dismissal of the
cadets This statement was given a
prominent place in all of the next
mornings newspapers, but Secretary
Loeb did not, in any way, intimate
that the report was inaccurate and
,fewndays later, on July %, while dis
cussfng the approaching visit of Sec
retary Wright, Mr.. Loeb, when asked
what bearing the visit might have
upon the case Of the cadets, suggest
ed that since the president had ap-
proved the dlsmissals it would be diff
ficult to reopen the matter without
special act of congress. This state
ment also received wide publicity and
no suggestion of it's inaccuracy came
from the. executive Office.
Secretary Wright reached Oyster
Bay late in the afternoon of July 81.
He intimated at that time, that some
new action in the matter of the dis
missed cadets might be expected, but
refused to discuss the situation until
he had seen the president The
next morning, after having spent the
night at Sycamore Hill, Secretary
Wright said that the cadets were to
be allowed to return to the military
academy and that the penalty for
their offense would be such disciplin-
ary punishment as the officials of the
academy thought proper.
While he was being interviewed,
Secretary Wright was asked explicit
ly by the reporters, If they might an
nounce the reinstatement of the ca
diets and he replied in the affirma-
tige. When questioned as to the
means that had been found to open
the cases after the dismissal had re-
ceived the presidents approval, the
secretary explained although the
president had approved the order of
dismissal. he (Sccretary WrighD had
never promulgated the orders, thus
leaving the matter open for reconsid-
Grafton at any. time. This was done
at the presidents request. according
to Secretary Wright, who said that
the president had requested him to
come to Oyster Bay to talk the mat
ter over.
Secretary Wright's statements were
by the reporters, but no statement
concerning, the matter was given out
there until today.
AS Secretary Loeb left Oyster Bay
last Friday for a months vacation,
he could not be questioned today,
concerning his authority for the
statement that President Roosevelt
had approved the dismissal of the ca
dets
1t was officially learned today, at
the executive Office. that six of the
dismissed cadets had visited oyster
Bay. shortly after their dismissal and
had tried to obtain an audience with
the president They were told that
the president would not see them and
advised 70 make their representations
to the war department.