Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-10
Outside Point of View

A few weeks ago the following press
report was published in the daily pa
pers:
Washington. April 14.-Social life at
the United States naval academy as
reflected in the academy hops is being
investigated by the navy department
20 discover If snobbery has crept into
the institution.
The investigation is based on the
complaint that Miss Mary n. Beers.
daughter OF Professor Beers, head OF
the English department of Yale. was
a recent victim of snobbery at the
/ academy. 1t is said that rnidshipman
at a hop gave an intimation to Miss
Beers escort that her presence there
was not desired because of her position
as governess in the family OF L1euten-
ant Tarrant of the navy.
The investi gation is the result OF
request Of Congressman Korbley. of
Indiana. He asked the secretary of the
navy to investigate that peculiar So
cial system at the academy that makes
| urwelcome at a social function an esti-
mable and talented girl who happens
to he earning her own living"
The matter was referred to Superin-
| terdent Bower Of the academy, who
reported on the facts. This report was
forwarded to Lieutenant Tarrant. now
| on the Mich gan. for a sta cement as to
| the status of Miss Beers in his family.
Lieutenant Tarrants reply ras not yet
reached the department.
| Since the above was sent out an
/ apology has been sent and the incident
! Is supposed to be closed.
(; Insignificant as this little social az
fair NAV appear 10 some. there is more
| involved in this than occurs to many.
! First, when the time comes that our
navy officers can not associate with
any respectable woman. young or old.
no m latter how few dollars that woman
possesses. the American people want
| to know it. The same snobbery Is oc-
OCCASIONALLY shown In the regular army.
Unquestionably both the officers OF the
army and navy feel they are pust
trife higher in society ranks thar
men and women that work for a living
In Germany and France this sentiment
is encouraged and admitted by the au-
thorities. In England. where all titles
are passports to certain social sets, no
one would be surprised when such an
affair as occurred at our academy hops
was reported. In Russia an army or
navy officer treats the common people.
only as higher grade OF animals. but
in this country, thank God, We still
have members Of congress and daily
| press to remind our navy and army Of
ficials that they are our hired men. In
times of peace, no citizen of the Unit
ed States has TO give more than half
on the road or sidewalk to any live
man. And as long as We remember it.
and instill this fact of perfect equality
before the law into the minds Of our
children we can afford to let the snobs
OF the army and navy flock together
socially If they prefer
There is in this country a growing
class who enjoy being mentioned as
the aristocracy OF letters, the educat-
sa class It has crnnned out severa
times in the eastern colleges and is no,
altogether frowned upon by the college
faculties. Boston has for many years
prided herself on an exclusive set OF
intellectual people. The one redeemine
feature OF the Boston crowd is thai
wealth is not considered in theil
makeup. Some Of these cultured
: people Of Boston are so poor that the
every day demand for bread and butter
and decent clothes Is perplexfne
Question. Still they will not mix VI
with the common people.
In New York especially. and some
!. other big cities is the arisfocracy o
wealth. The so-called 400" Of 1sAs'