The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-06-11
BADGER IDOL
OF The M|DDIES
How Rear Admiral Became
Known as Square Deal. T"
An ANNAPOLIS SOBRIQUET.


Given to Commander Of Our eattlsship,
In Msxiean Waters When Younsstsr,
at Naval Academy Feared Punish
nsnt For ~ths Silence" Cure Admin
istsrsd to . Discipline Officsr.
Rear Admiral Badger. commander oil
the united American naval forces In
| Mexican waters. bears a sobriQuet OF
affection bestowed upon him by the
midshipmen at Annapolis all OF ten
years ago. when he was commandant
Of the youngsters there. and which
was carried along to the ships by the
youths OF decade ago who are now.
many OF them, junior officers under
his immediate command. He Is called
Square Deal" Badger.
The act which first won for Admiral
Badger the hearts of nearly 800 mid
sbipmen Is related In the New York
World.
While Admiral Badger was serving
as commandant of the midshipmen
an officer in the discipline department
made himself obnoxious to the mid
shipmen. According to their code. he
didn't play the game fairly. When
this officer took to making inspections
without his sword and wearing gum
Shoes" thereby violating unwritten
laws as old as the academy itself. 1t
was decided that something must be
done.
Incident That Won the Sobriquet.
There was only one way by which
the brigade could show this particular
officer the contempt they held him In
and that was by giving him the 81
lence." The practice of giving an Of
f1cer the silence is one of the Oldest
and most curious customs of the naval
service. No officer who ever received |
1t has had the moral courage to re-
main long on duty with those who
gave it. He soon gets transferred to |
other duty.
The brigade had marched to dinner |
The officer in question was seated at
his table in the center of the room
The meal began For few moments
there was the usual hum of converse
ton, the usual clatter of knives. forks
and dishes; then at preconcerted sig
nal dead silence. Every midshipman
simply stopped eating and stopped
talking at the same moment
The officer colored. then lost his
head. He marched the brigade, din
lerless. back to their quarters and
alter had to march them in to the
ness hall again.
Under navy regulations it is grave
'ffense for enlisted men to give 1.-The
ilence.' The discipline officer recon-
nended that as part of the punish
nent to be melted out to the middies
hey be deprived of their trip to the
army Navy football game.
When this became generally known
o the brigade the midshipmen were
anic stricken. Then a day later the
telegraph" flashed joyous
idlngs. The commandant had sum-
loned the discipline officer. The lat
er had urged his recommendation.
he commandant had listened. he had
animated awhile. and then he had
losed the interview with the famous
vords. 1.-The brigade will attend the
game"
Naturally after that Admiral Bad
,r's standing with those midshipmen
as forever secure. Although him
If strict disciplinarian. he played
} favorites, and no man was punish
without fair hearing.
At Annapolis Admiral Badger was
e terror of the naval tailors. He
'uld not be convinced that tailor made
othes should not fit exactly, or that
ilors should be paid for uniforms
hich did not fit On Sunday morn
g inspections the present commander
ess uniform, passed down the long
les Of midshipmen. followed by his
m and trailed by the miserable tall
$. No uniform which did not fit
ugly escaped his eye: no tailor re-
onsible for an I'll ut escaped his CEN
re.
After alterations were made the mid
ipman. accompanied by his tailor,
d to report to the commandant for
other inspection, and another and
II another until his critical eye was
tisfed