Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-17
SECRETARY DANIELS
IS AFTER HAzERS
No Leniency to Be Shown to
Middies, and Offenders May
Go to Prison.

In announcing today his approval OF
the sentence of the court-martial which
dismissed Mldshipman James c. Cook OF
Arkansas, thT-claSSman at the Naval
Academy, for haZing, Secretary Daniels
made 1T plain that he intends to stamp
out that practice at the Annapolis school
He has sent letter to every midship-
man at Annapolis warning him that
hereafter no leniency will be shown
hazers, who, in addition to being dis
missed, will receive the additional pen
atty of years Imprisonment, as pro-
vided by law. The Secretary said today
that he considered that the court had
been extremely Ienient with the young
man In this case in not imposing the
extreme penalty.
The victim of Midshipman Cooks haz-
ing was Midshipman Newbold Lawrence
of Michigan a fourth-claSS man. who
was made to stand on his head and do
other stunts imposed by Cook. Cook
is a member of both the foot ball and
base ball squads at the academy
Secretary Daniels Letter.
Il have affirmed the sentence of the
court said Secretary Daniels today,
although in my judgment the evidence
warranted more punishment than a
mere dismissal from the academy.
have no sympathy with hazing.
"Your hazer is essentially a bully and
must necessarily have in his nature a
streak Of the same innate cruelty pos
sessed by brutes who torture dumb ami
mails for the pleasure of watching their
suffering. The United States Navy has
no place for youths of this kind. The
Naval Academy is intended to teach
young men what is required of an officer
and a gentleman-lessons in bullying and
torturing have no room in the curriculum
and 1 do not intend that 1t shall exist as
an optional course of study.
1.-THE academy IS. moreover, peculiarly
under the direct supervision of Congress,
and Congress has passed laws providing
severe punishment for haZing. Where
the hazing is brutal the law provides
that the guilty youth may receive in ad-
dition to his dismissal f. ON the Academy
a sentence Of confinement not to exceed
one year at some place where he will not
be associated with criminals.
This sentence would have been justified
in this case, but as l have not had an OPP
portunity to issue a warning before, l
have let the sentence stand at dismissal
To make sure that the students UNDER
stand that no leniency will be shown in
the future, however. 1 have issued the
following comment on the verdict, which
/ have ordered transmitted to every mid
shipman and instructor at the Naval
Academy.
Congress has expressed it's severe dis
approval of haZing. and 1t is my intention
to see that the laws it has enacted for
the punishment of the practice are car
ried out to the fullest extent Although
l have decided not to return the record
in this case to the court for reconsidera-
ton of the sentence. nevertheless l re-
gard the punishment inadequate for the
offense and | take this opportunity of
saying that this senseless and dangerous
practice will not be tolerated at an edu-
cational institution founded and support
ed by the government. Future manfes-
tations of such character at the Naval
Academy will meet with rigorous action"