The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-02
ROOSEvELT'S ORDERS QUICKLY RESC|NDED
Wright and Roosevelt Hold a Confer. ence, After Which the Order Is Is-
 sued for Boys To Go Back
 and Take Punishment.

 cial)-President Roosevelt and Secre- tary of War Luke Wright. after Il stormy interview today decided that the eight cadets recently dismissed from West Point academy for hazing should be immediately reinstated. It was announced by Secretary Wright that the Presidents approval of the dismissal of the cadets and his refusal to see them was simply 2 scare" given the cadets by the Presi- dent.
 It is learned, however. that their re- instatement Is undoubtedly due to the stand in their behalf taken by the sec retary of war against the President and the officers of the academy.
 Secretary Wright received the dis missed cadets in Washington a few days ago, and when he arrived here he bluntly asked President Roosevelt what the President meant by approving the dismissal of the cadets over the head of the war department. It is under stood the President admitted he had acted impulsively in the case and was willing to have his action oyerruIed by Secretary Wright on the ground that the proper course of procedure had not been followed and that no definite action was valid without the signature of the secretary.
 Wright Is Reticent.
 When leaving for New York and Washington today. Secretary Wright would not discuss the report that he had practically forced the President to agree to the reinstatement of the ca dets.
 "The President simply signed the or der to scare the cadets said the sec fetary. "Of course. witho my sigma
 ture to their dismissal the matter was left open. I told the President that I had received the dismissed cadets, and was greatly impressed by their manly | bearing.
 Especially was I impressed by the attitude taken by the cadet who ad- mitted that he was the ringleader. He said he had started all the trouble and wished that all the punishment should come to him. The dismissed cadets l have already been punished. They arc now free to return to the academy at once and doubtless they will find more punishment awaiting them." i The eight cadets were suspended on July 23. They are Byron o. Jones and i George w. Chase, Jr., of New York. ] William T. Rossell and Harry G. Weaver of Illinois. first class men; Will liam W. Prude, Jr., of Alabama, Isaac 1 Spaulding of Oklahoma, William Nalle. Jr., and James A. Gillespie of Virginias Aftermath %o C1n,A The decision of the Secretary of War and the action of the President is cer- tain to caused strained relations between ] the Secretary of War and Col. H. l.. Scott, the superintendent at the military academy. Not only had Colonel Scott gone on record in suspending the eight cadets, but he had publicy expressed his qualification over the editorials in various | newspapers sustaining his action. In 1 this connection he wrote: T take pleasure in informing you that 1 the stand l have taken against hazng at the United States military academy has had marked effect in strengthening the hands of the authorities here. In g. matter so deeply rooted as this an edi- torial is often more convincing than regulation. HI. L. SCOTT. "Col. U. S. A., supt," l Headquarters United States States Mili- l tary Academy, West Point, N. r., July | 27. 190S
 In the light of the above letter it is l hard to see just what Colonel Scott and | other officers of the academy will do. The reinstatement of the men places the colonel in an unenviable position before the cadets. as his decision has been over- , ruled, and 1t is believed this will mean the continuation of hazing. On Scott's Side.
 The town of Highland Falls is ssid to be in thorough sympathy with the efforts of Colonel Scott, as the residents have known that hazing has been going on in secluded parts of the reservation. and that the hazing has not always been the forcing of men to pick up and count 100 black ants.
 Recently an underclass man was i'll for several days from having been compelled to drink bottle of tabasco sauce that threw him into agony. 4
 Still more recently a party of women in Highland Falls accidently stumbled over hazing party. The sight they saw caused them to protest and to de- nounce the cadets as brutes and threaten to report the affair to the authorities at i the academy.
 President Roosevelt. it was said. had knowledge in a general way of the con- i dition of affairs and that 1t was this fact that led to his approval of Colonel Scott's order. His resembling 1t at the request of Secretary Wright has caused much comment.