The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1912-02-02
Il t''t'
No Case Is b ed in West
Point for hs'
CREDIT DUE GENERAL MILLS
After Others Failed He Succeeded in
Breaking Up the System, for Which
Has Been Substituted a Better
Method of scipIine.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Waslington-Wor has come to the
war department from West Point that
notwithstanding the fact that it holds
the largest class OF new cadets which
has reported to the institution. the
members have not been Aa.> :. either
In camp or In the barracks For some
months there have been no develop
ed cases of hazing of tho newcomers.
Recently Brig Gen Albert l. Mills
was ordered TO take command Of the
department of the gulf. with hcadquar-
tiers at Fort Mcpherson. Atlanta. Ga
1t Is probable that the news that there
has been no hazing at West Point in
Of particular interest to General Mills.
When the Spanish war broke out
Mills was first lieutenant in the
First cavalry He was given the rank
of captain as an assistant adjutant
general OF volunteers. While on this
staff duty he was in the thick Of the
fight In front of Santiago. He showed
heroism that day that won him med
al of honor, an appointment to West
Point as superintendent. with the rank
of colonel, and later promotion to the
grade of brigadier general. a promo
ton that advanced him over the heads
of several hundred senior officers.
Brig. Gen. Albert l.. Mills is the man
who broke up hazing at West Point.
The system passed bewailed by every
graduate of the academy, except the
man who gave it its death blow. Pos
tn art Eonnvll
Mills was sorry that he was able to
do what many soldier before him
had failed to do, but 1t was a matter
of duty. and hazing was drum-headed
and driven out of the camp.
The scars of war are on .eneral
Mills. but conspicuous as was his field
service. 1t is probable that the fight
against the time-recognized, if not
tme-honored "plebe deviling" institu-
ton. will outlive the other service in
the memory of the army and the coun-
try. "Bracing" has succeeded haZing
at West Point a plebe is no longer
asked 10 recite the psalm of Life.
with appropriate gestures, to his hui
initiation. and to the delight of
host of unconscionabie yeariings. but
he gets the military end of the siren
uous life as no plebe ever got 1t be-
fore, and the perfunctory soldier du-
ties at the academy were always soul
trying and body-rackins
Others Failed to Stop Razing.
When Albert l. Mills went 10 the
Military Academy as its supcrintend-
ent he was only captain, though the
nositian of chief of the school car
red with ii the temporary rank Of colo
rel The list Of his predecessors at
West Point carried the name of some
of he most distinguished soldiers Of
the American army Lee Schodeld,
Howard and Merritt are four of the
names that come to the memory. Lee
could not. or did not. stop hazing Tn
der SchoGeld six cadets were dismissed
for hazing in a single summer, but haz-
ing went on Merritt tried his hand at
roofing out the practice. He dismissed
81 Chicago boy summary on the
charge of deviling a plebe sentinel but
haziug went on.
General Howard was probably the
only superintendent that the military
academy ever had who did not believe
I'm his heart that a certain kind Of
hazing was a good thing for the hazed
Rich mons sons came TO west foint
the most democratic sehool on 'he
footsiool, ana gave evidence tha' 'ney
thought they Nera oeller IMAM 'ne
sons a. poor men. IL d'1" { take Iohs
to iudaee. them 10 'HaA-e '"e,' view
point. IN, yeat1I'-sS ou".,Sea lt 10Y
them. iheis never WIS 'He o'"l"' la@'
haF AZ " e~1 point 'I'', ",''o was at
ApnaHelia. Inc sc' eN."' "'""" Was