Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-09
Suspension Instead of Dis
missaI Proposed for Cadets.
INTENT MADE A FACTOR
Malicious Purpose Would Incur the
Graver Penalty.
ACTION BY THE SENATE
Modification Of Regulations Favor.
ed by Secretary of War Passed
by the Upper House.

by the Upper House.
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Secretary Dickinson believes that the
penalties for hazinS at West Point Mill
tary Academy are too severe, and has
not only furnished Supt. Scott a set OF
modified regulations. but has persuaded
the Senate to pass a joint resolution Ito
increase the efficiency of the military
academy" by making the new regula
tions retroactive, SO that they will appl,
to cadets Robert Neil Bodne, Edward
C. v. Boykin and Harold Harvin Ray
ner, who were recently found guilty OF
hazing and have been sentenced to sum-
mary dismissal. Under the present rules
there is no appeal to the Secretary OF
War from the decision of the academy
board. whose verdict is final. This board
usually consists of three officers and a
recorder, who are expected to make a
thorough investigation of every case that
comes to their knowledge. and If they
find cadet guilty Of hazing under the
act of Congress passed in 1901 the only
penalty Is dismissal. Nor are there de-
grees of the offense. Every form of haz
ing. no matter whether mild or severe
receives the same punishment. Secretary
Dickinson and many others think this is
unjust, and under the regulations he has
prepared dismissal will be ordered only
when the offense is accompanied by such
manifestations as to justify belief that
it was prompted by i'll will or malice.
Some of the officers at the academy
are not favorable to the new regulations
and think they will interfere with dis
cipline although they admit that the
ions of fhe lfyy in
line of justice. provided the authorities
at the academy are allowed to judge,
and the War Department will not override
them They argue that If haZing is to be
suppressed the superintendent of the
academy must be sustained Anything
that weakens his authority is subversive
of discipline, and whenever an appeal is
allowed to the War Department politics
usually influences the decision.
The following are the new regula-
tons:
The New Regulations.
143- Section /. Any cadet who shall
invite, order or compel a candidate. new
cadet or fourth classman to engage in
any kind Of physical exercise Except
at drilD. eat or drink anything or take
into the mouth anything whatever, or
shall strike. treat with violence or offer
bodily harm to Il candidate, new cadet
Or fourth claSsman, or shall invite, or
der. compel or permit a candidate, new
cadet or fourth classman to sweep his
tthe cadets) room Or tent, make his
bed. clean his arms, equipment or ac-
couterments, bring water or perform for
him any other mental service, or to do
for him anything incompatible with the
when no intent has been shown to in
Jure. punish or humiliate such candi-
date. new cadet or fourth classman, to
be summarily suspended and turned
q
Sec. - Any cadet who. with intent
to injure, punish or humiliate, shall do
any OF the above-enumerated things shall
be deemed guilty of hazing and shall
be summarily expelled from the academy.
and shall not thereafter be reappointed
10 the corps of cadets or be eligible for
appointment as a commissioned officer in
the army. navy or Marine Corps until
two years after the graduation of the
class of which he was member.
Sec. p Any candidate found guilty
of being an accessory to or encouraging
or countenancing any OF the aforesaid
acts shall, in cases where the evidence
fails to show that such act was done
with. intent to injure, punish or humiliate
the candidate. new cadet or fourth class
man, be summarily suspended and turned
back to join the next class, and, In cases
where the evidence shows that such act
was done with intent to injure. punish or
humiliate, be punished as prescribed In
section 2 hereof.
Sec. 4. Any cadet who shall give I'M
authorized commands or orders to do, or
shall invite, order or compel q candidate,
new cadet or fourth classman to assume
any ridiculous or constrained position, or
shall lay hands on or shall interfere
with, harass, modest or annoy a candi-
date, new cadet or fourth classman in
any way other than as provided for In
this or the foregoing paragraphs, shall
be awarded such punishment. less than
dismissal suspension, as the superin-
rfh
Sec. 5. Any cadet whose duty it is
to enforce camp, barrack or mess regu-
lations. who Is shown to have had knowl-
edge that any Of the acts defined in sec
tions I. .. and was being done, and
who failed to take prompt steps to stop
the same, or to report the facts to the
proper authority, shall be punished in
like manner as il he had been a prin-
cipal to the commission of the act.
The resolution. which has already
passed the Senate and is now pending in
the House of Representatives. makes the
new rules retroactive. and authorizes the
cases which are now pending and in
which final action has not been taken
under the provision of said regulations
as modified"
Offenses of the Hazers.
The three cadets mentioned above have
been convicted of violation of the law of
congress. winch says tnat cadets found
guilty of hazing shall be dismissed but
through the influence of Senator Warner
Of Missouri and other members of the
Senate and the House Of Representatives
Secretary Dickinson was persuaded to
order the sentences suspended In order to
give them time to get a resolution
through Congress authorizing him to
mitigate the penalty.
Although it would be difficult to prove
malice in any case defined by the
regulations above given. the offense OF
Cadet Bodine of Missouri is said TO have
been 50 serious that even dismissal Is
considered too light penalty. He is a
member of the second class. and at the
able in the cadet dining room at supper
ne evening he ordered ''plebe." OF
freshman, To "hrace"-which means t.
straighten UP and throw his shoulders
back. The "plebe" did not obey as
promptly. or Bodine thought proper
and after supper Bodine followed him &c
his room, where he repeated the order
The response was no more satisfactory
there. and Bodine considered ii necessary
IL no hoo IL a 4