Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1912-03-22
HAz|NG NOW ENDED
No Case Is Developed in West
l. Point for Months.
CREDIT DUE GENERAL MILLS
After Others Failed He Succeeded In
Breaking UP the System, for Which
Has Been Substituted a Better
Method of Discipline.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Washington.-Word 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 hazed, either
In camp or in the barracks For some
months there have been no develop
ed cases of hazing of the newcomers.
Recently Brig Gen Albert L. Mills
was ordered to take command of the
department of the gulf, with headquar-
ters at Fort Mcpherson, Atlanta Ga
II 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 a first lieutenant in the
First cavalry. He was given the rank
or captain as an assistant adjutant
general of volunteers. While on this
stafs duty he was in the thick Of the
fight in front of Santiago He showed
heroism that day that won him a med
al of honor, an appointment to West
Point as superintendent, with the rank
of colonel and later promotion to the
grade of brigader general. promo
tion 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
nv hn
sibly way down in his heart General
Mills was sorry that he was able to
do what many soldier before him
had failed to do, but it was 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
time-honored "plebe deviling" institu-
tion, 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 to recite the Psalm Of Life."
with appropriate gestures, to his hu-
initiation. and to the delight Of a
host of uncomfortable yearlings. but
he gets the military end of the stren-
uous life as no plebe ever got it be-
fore, and the perfunctory soldier du-
ties at the academy were always soul.
trying and body-racking
others Failed to Stop HazIng.
When Albert l.. Mills went to the
Military Academy as its superintend-
ent he was only captain, though the
position of chief of the school car
rled with 1t the temporary rank Of colo
mel. The list of his predecessors at
West Point carried the name of some
of the most distinguished soldiers OF
the American army. Lee. Schofield
Howard and Merritt are four Of the
names that come to the memory. Lee
could not. or did not. stop hazing. Un
der Schofield six cadets were dismissed
for haging in single summer. but haz
ing went on Merritt tried his hand a
roofing out the practice. He dismissed
a Chicago boy summarily on tn,
charge of deviling plebe sentinel. bu
hazing went on.
General Howard was probably th'
only superintendent that the militar.
academy ever had who did not believ,
in his heart that a certain kind o
hazing was a good thing for the hazed
Rich mems sons came to West Point
the most democratic school on tn
footstool, and gave evidence that the
thought they wero better than tn
sons of poor men. 1t didn't take lon
to induce them to change their view
point. The yearlings changed 1t TO
them. There never was the brutal ha;
ing at West point that there was 0
Annapolis. The sea school brand wa
indefensible. Howard tried to kill a
forms of hazlng and failed.
Before General Mills had been in tn
academy long there were several case
Of severe hazing, and, mindful of hi
duty, he campaigned against an enem
that had overcome his predecessors O
no enemy had overcome them in wa
fare. Mills routed the well.intentione
foe, but he took care that a system {
discipline should be installed whic
would do the regenerating work ths
the better kind Of hazing had done b.
fore.
This is the season Of the societ
whirl. 1t makes no difference whet
er one is invited or not invite
he cannot keep away from IL
receptions and the balls and the pa
ties; that is, keep away from the
in the sense that he must not kno
about them, for the streets are thron
ed nightly with uniformed comers ar
goers and their begowned wive
daughters and sweethearts. Pres
dent Taft has just given the create
diplomatic reception ever seen