The Detroit times., 1914-05-08

busy walters. started Dy the sudden
quiet, stopped what they were doing
10 see what was the matter. thereby
making il complete.
The officer colored painfully, then
lost his head He marched the bri-
gadc, dinnerless. back TO their quar-
ters and later had to march them in
to the mess hall again. Under navy
regulations II is a grave offense for
enlisted men TO give the silence"
The discipline officer recommended
that as part of the punishment 20
PIE meted out to the middies they be
deprived OF their trip TO the Army
Nary game.
When this became generally known
10 the brigade the midshipmen were
pauic.stricken. The offense was great,
no matter what the provOcation. They
knew that. And they feared that the
punishment would be proportionate.
4 hen day later the academy grape
vine telegraph" flashed Joyous tidings.
The cOmmandant had summoned the
discipline officer The latter had
urged his recommendation The com
mandant had listened, ne hau rumin-
ated awhile and then he had closed
the interview with the famous words,
The brigade will attend the Army
Navy game
Naturally after that Admiral Bad
gers standing with those midshipmen
was forever secure. Although himself
strict disciplinarian, he played no
faNorites and no man was punished
without fair hearing. This was gen.
orally recognized and made him uni
Nersally popular besides winning for
him the sobriquet Of Square Deal
Bsdger
On one occasion 2 midshipman who
had gone TO Washington for medical
treatment evidenced unmistakable
signs OF iEtoxication on the return
trip. He was in uniform A local
newspaper man observed him, found
out his name, reported him TO the au-
tholities and improved the occasion
by writing an editorial upon the sub
ject in most caustic vein. The punish.
ment for drinking at the academy,
much less intoxication, may be and
often is dismissal.
But Square DEAL did not take
kindly to the newspaper mans edi-
torial and even less kindly to his re.
porting the midshipman, especially
as the latter had braced up to such
On est"rt b. 49,, lfne he reported 10
me oipce4, mat that Officer
noticed nothing amiss. The culprit
vas sent Tor. given a very .serions
talking TO, which closed the incident
as Tar as he was concerned, but the
newspaper man got off less lightly
according TO the grapevine tele-
graph" Thiss generally reliable
source of information had IL that he
was summoned by the superintend
ent, who was at that time Rear Ad
miral Willard III. Brownson, now re.
tired. Admiral Brownson was famous
for his concise and forceful way or
speaking his mind and the newspaper
man reported later that on that oc-
casion he was in his best form.
At Annapolis Admiral Badger was
the terror OF the naval tailors. He
simply could not be convinced that
tailor-made clothes should not At ex-
actiy, or that tailors should be paid
for uniforms which did not fit. On
Sunday morning inspections the pres
ent commander of all our super
Dreadnaughts, in full dress uniform,
pdSStu uOMn tic lOu6 lines VI llilu-
shipmen, followed by his STAFF and
trailed by the miserable tailors No
uniform which did not fit snugly es-
capped his eye; no tailor responsible
for an i'll 1T escaped his censure. And
after alterations were made the mid
shipman, accompanied by his tailor
had TO report TO the commandant for
another inspection, and another and
still another until his critical eye
was satisfied
Unquestionably there is no flag
officer in the naval service more pop
ular with both officers and enlisted
men than he whom President Wilson
selected TO command the North At
lantic fleet at this critical time. His
popularity with the latter is fully at
tested by the small number OF de-
sertions from the ships which he has
His record in every
grade from midshipman TO admiral
spells the word efficiency.-New York
World
Onp-half the DOpulatiOn OF France !