The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-08-05
NEW ANANIAs CLUB MEMBERS.

Iney are, lney hren I, Iney
are" They aren't" merrily ticks the
press wires these days in reference to
the suspension or non-suspenslon, as
the case may be, OF the West Point
cadets for hazing. The incident has
gone through all the various intrica-
cies of a thoroughly up-to-dste farce
and has finally resulted in the re-elec-
ton OF Secretary Loeb for about the
'steenth time to the Ananias club by
President Roosevelt, who Is one of the
clubs most active patrons, and of the
premier initiation Of Secretary Wright
of the war department. The New
York World prints very amusing
"artist- on the spot" sketch Of Secre-
tary Wright az he takes his seat at the
club for the first time along with Har-
riman. Whitney, Tillman. Chandler,
Hobson, Parker, and Long, all Of
whose memberships were President
Roosevelt's making.
In spite OF Secretary Loeb's origin
81 statement, that the cadets would be
dismissed with the approval Of the
president. and the later announcement
OF Secretary Wright to the newspaper
men, that the decision to reinstate
them had been reached. the president
now makes the statement through Mr..
Loeb's assistant, who Is doing his
work while he is away on his vaca-
zion, that he has taken no action at all
either way on the cadet cases as yet
and the public Is left In fear and
trembling lest the acting secretary,
Mr.. Foster. may be fooling 1t as we'll
as the head secretaries. The public
suspects It is Wolf! WOLFF again and
that Foster may be as wrong as
Wright. One newspaper correspon-
dent has been led to the conclusion:
"Mr. Loeb never opens his mouth but
he puts his foot In It,"
The Springfield Republican, our es-
teemed contemporary. commented
yesterday upon the announcement of
Secretary Wright that the cadets had
been reinstated as follows: THE pres
dents action In reinstating the eight
cadets recently expelled from West
Point for hazing Is not In the least
understood, and the circumstances
make 1t appear like caprice pure and
simple" Says the New York World
In reference to the same announce
ment: There are some disadvantages
In living under rule Of meddlesome
personal caprice instead of govern
ment by law" When sound papers
that are not too quick to come to con
illusions, both accuse the executive OF
the same fault, caprice, on the same
day, 1t Is no slight matter. The pres
ident says he was misrepresented, YET
why 1t should have been necessary fol-
him to interfere In the West Poin,
hazlng affair at all any more than In
the recent Standard Oil retrial, cannot
easily be comprehended. Yet it was
at the presidents "own request that
held the matter open until ! could
come here (Oyster Bay) and confer
with him. said Secretary Wrigh
whose approval of the action of thu
West Point board only was necessary
Hazing at West Point has long pre-
scented q complex problem But t
those who have lived In or near to tn,
spirit of Yale life 1t seems one easy
Of solution. Yale officials, facult,
members and graduates are firm il
the belief that the solving for all sucl
undergraduate problems lies In {
"hands- off" policy. The fraternit.
and athletic systems of Yale to-da.
4 are working In perfect harmony will
the desires Of the faculties, and tn,
hazing problem has been wiped on
because the boys themselves have beer
entrusted with the solution of thes
matters, and have been made to fee
their responsibility, 1t Is to be hope
that Mr., Taft whose term of offlc
seems certain, will adopt the hands
off" policy Of his alma mater as re
CARDS hazing at the military academy
and in other concerns as well.
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