Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-07-06
DEFENDS ADMINISTRATION
AT THE NAVAL ACADEMY
Chaplain Cassards Letter to the Balti-
more Sun.

Writing 10 the Baltimore sun in de-
Tense of the Naval Academy, Chaplain
". G. Casard has the following 10 say:
I'm The Sun Of yesterday is an edi-
torial in which you discuss the sitaa-
ton at the Naval Academy and which
concludes as follows:
Certainly one thing seems 10 be
proved that is that il is not the
nursery of scrupulons and sensi-
tive honor which the country has
the right to expect il TO be
1T would not be possible TO bring
more serious charge against the Aead-
emy. FOR when honor fails all else fails.
Against the conclusion thus express
cd in your editorial. ] wish 10 protest
with all possible esrnesness.
Il have been on duty al the Naval
Academy Tor more than two years.and
from the beginning of my tour OF duty
10 the present hour have felt that the
honor standard upheld by the officers
al the Academy has been OF the high
est possible type.
To be sure. We do not have the
honor system in vogue in a number Of
colleges throughout the country, but il
has been the feeling of all connected
with the Academy that the highest
honor system possible among men Is
The honor Of an honorable man
Nor DO I believe that any midship
man now at the Naval Academy has
failed TO have this fact duly and earn
estly impressed upon him. / do not
pretend TO say who is guilty OF "goug
ing" nor even that any one is guilty.
since / am neither Judge nor jury, but
! do affirm il Is my profound cOnyic-
tion that if any midshipman has been
guilty OF securing advance inlOrma-
lion respecting an examination, know
ing il To be such. he has done so not
because OF any system in vogue at the
Academy but in spite OF it,
The idea that the officers of the
Academy hold lax views respecting the
honor OF the naval service and that
these views are respected in the pres
ent alleged offenses Of certain mid
. shipmen is absolutely untrue 10 the
facts in the case and highly unjust 10
the officers who are attached to the
Academy II seems 10 me that The sun
, is making the mistake of confusing the
alleged misconduct OF number OF mid
shipmen with the standard honor as
understood and upheld by the response
BILE authorities OF the Naval Academy.
a few men have been charged with
wrongdoing and the administration OF
the Academy is held TO be no longer re-
sponsive TO scrupulous and sensitive
honor The American people may be
+ sure that the guilty vii be punished
and that the high standard OF honor
+ which has ever been characteristic OF
I the Academy will be maintained. and
! that. meantime. the Academy is not de-
cadent. and that the influence al work
/, there. OCCASIONAL unfortunate incidents
10 the contrary Notwithstanding, are
calculated TO conserve and develop in
the midshipmen. individually and col
lectively. that 'scrupulous and sensi-
| tive honor which the country has the
right TO expect
II there are any whom it is not pos
| sible to inspire with this exalted sense
| OF honor let the fact be disclosed and
let them be adequately punished. And
this is the meaning OF the present in
vestigation. | inclose for your consid-
Grafton a copy of a letter which is sent
10 the parents or guardians of all mid
| shipmen and with which the midship-
men themselves are familiar in which
the high moral requirements of the
Academy are fully set forth and in
which due warning is given concern
ing the penalty for violating any OF
these requirements underlying what
feel sure you will admit 10 be a salts
factory standard of honor. at least in
its external expression"