Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-25
ONLY HOPE NOW CONGRESS
Boys Justify Their Course as Neces.
sary Discipline.
APPEAL TO GEN. WRIGHT FAILS
Will Not Abandon Hope and Are
Going Home to Consult
Their Fathers.

dent Roosevelt has approved the dismissal
from the Military Academy at West Point
of eight cadets found guilty of hazing
underclassmen.
! Both the report of the board which
tried the cadets and that of the superin-
tendent of the academy were approved by
the President.
| Secrtary Loeb said today reinstatement
of the men could be accomplished only by
congressional action.
THE President has set his foot down on
| hazing" said Secretary Loeb today, "and
it did not take him long to approve Of the
dismissal of the men.
The matter is out of the Secretary of
| Wars hands entirely, and it is now UP
to Congress to pass a law reinstating
them
| will the President sign such a bill if
Congress passes it?" Mr.. Loeb was asked.
Now. that is going too far in the fu-
ture.' he replied.
Hazing Necessary Evil.
On the ground that hazing is neces-
sary evil at the West Point Military
Academy, cadets dismissed from the in
stitution few days ago hope for rein
statement. This was the position taken
by one of the dismissed men in Wash
ington today. in conversation with re-
porter for The Star.
welt has approved the dismissal. they still
have hopes of getting back. When in
formed of this action on the part of the
executive today three of them expressed
surprise. but stated they will continue
efforts to regain their cadetships.
What steps will you take now?' was
asked of Cadet W. T. Rossell. the first
class honor man. who has been acting
spokesman of the squad.
Il do not know definitely. he replied.
I'VE made our plea before the Secretary
of War yesterday. We will not try to see
President Roosevelt, but will write to
him. But think before we do anything
more we better consult our papas. We
are young yet.
.'on what grounds do you hope for re-
instatement?"
mo grounds. Just on general princi-
pies We were guilty of hazing, or else
we would not have been sent away"
do you maintain the plebes needed the
hazing?"
Yes. A necessary evil" the cadet re-
he three cadets, who are still in the
city, a'd they had no long statement to
make They say they have been ordered
to their homes. AS long as they are
cadet5-- A1ich will be until the final order
of dismissal is received-they do not care
to make any lengthy statement.
May Appeal to Congress.
1t is regarded as not unlikely that the
men will try to get their reinstatement
through congressional enactment. While
In Washington. it is lnown. they have
visited many men high in political circles.
and they hope to present their side of
the case to others at their homes.
Four of the seven students who came
here to see the Secretary oe War have
left Washington for their homes. The
others will leave today.
Secretary Wright received a call yes
terday from the eight cadets. After
few minutes informal talk w'tl. the
young men. all of whom. the Secretary
said subsequently. impressed him as
bright, manly fellows, Secretary Wright
| said
Now. honest. boys. tell me just what
you did to get yourselves into this
scrape?'
Rossen Spokesman.
Cadet Rossell, son of Lieut.. Col
William +. Rossell of the Engineer Corps
of the army said perhaps he had been
more to blame than any of the others
but he felt that none had committed
serious offenseS. Rossell told the Secre-
tary that they appealed to him on the
ground that they were victims of yellow
ness on the part of several plebes who
hadn't the nerve or grit to stand like
men and take their medicine, as all other
plebes have been compelled to do" Each
cne of the cadets present had suffered his
share of hazing. he said. We all have
f~en through it. but as men who are
made of the stuff required for soldiers
don't squeal. We stood firm and took our
share.
Il can say" he continued, that there
is not one of us present who now regrets
his having been haZed at West Point. 1t
did us good. l think you would agree
personally If you knew the freshmen who
| were hazed. as they call it; you would
| admit that 1t did them good-I mean, sir
| If you could have known them before and
| after their so-called hazing. There are
| always a number of boys in each fresh
| man class who need such treatment, and
| without it they would scarcely be made
! into good soldiers. l am sure some Of
us present needed it, and we didn't whim-
per-"
| Aside from Cadet Rossell, the cadets
| who have been ordered home to await
dismissal and who visited Secretary
Wright. were:
| HAIRY u. w edNeT. uTSt CldSsl11d!l, OF IL
| linois, George Washington Chase jr.
third classman, of New York; James A.
| Giles pie third classman of Pennsylvania: :
Byron Quimby Jones. third classman, of
New York: William Nalle. jr, third class
man, of Virginia; William Wellington
| Prude third classman. of Alabama: Isaac
Spaulding. third classman. of Oklahoma
Law Is Mandatory.
| While the papers in the case will not
be made public until they have been act
ed upon by the final reviewing authori-
ties, it Is known that all the members Of
the board of military officers who investi-
gated the case were unanimous upon the
one point that thu punishment should be
dismissal from the academy.
The law is mandatory upon the authori-
| ties to dismiss cadets found guilty of
| hazing. and 1t Is not discretionary with
even the Secretary Of War to mitigate
the punishment.