Evening star., 1915-09-18
Row On at College Park Over
United States Army Mill
tary Instructor.
TWO OFFICIAL INQUIRIES
EXPECTED TO BE RESULT
Maryland Legislature and War De-
partment Regarded as
Likely to Act.

has developed at the Maryland
Agricultural College, at College
Park, Md. and at which many
District of Columbia boys are and
have been students, as the result
of the publication of a story that
some of the students are or have
been dissatisfied with what was
alleged to be the strictness of the
military instructor of the college,
Maj. ]. A. Dapray, U. S. A, re-
tired.
So far as could be ascertained today
there seems to be little ground for that
charge, but underneath this surface
story. alleged hot tips" on which have
been freely telephoned to the Wash
fngton and Baltimore newspapers for
several days, there appears to be
clash of authority between officials
which may result in an investigation
by the Maryland legislature. which ap-
propriates funds for part of the sup
port of the college. as we'll as by the
War Department, which has charge of
the military instruction at the insti-
tuition.
Recall of Maj. Dapray Asked.
DR.. ]. H. Patterson. president Of the
college. today declared that there is no
truth in the report that students have
signed a petition to him protesting
against Maj Dapray continuing as mill
itary instructor at the college. He first
denied such a report Wednesday. in
conversation with a reporter for The
Star. at the same time declaring there
was nothing in" stories that Mai
Dapray would be asked to leave. To-
day he said it is true that he has
asked the War Department to relieve
active officer, who is a graduate of
West Point. would be more effective
at the NJ a. c. than retired officer.
DR.. Patterson said that he had been
written to the War Department. be-
cause he does not think that corre-
spondence between the college and the
department is of any public concern.
and that that was why he had said two
days ago that there was nothing in
stories that Maj. Dapray might go.
Today. however, IT develops that
there is likely to be a considerable row
when the executive committee of the
board of trustees meets next week. |
Wells. an attorney of Washington. and |
he is said to have a fund of informa- |
tion on circumstances at the college an |
tecedent to the present difficulties. a
knowledge which is said to be shared
by Capt. S. J. Bayard Schindel, L. S. A, |
general stan, now on duty at the War
College, who is president of the board
OF college inspectors of the army, and |
who has been the inspector Of military
discipline and training at the Maryland
Agricultural College.
Power Rests With Trustees.
The trustees of the college, it is said,
alone have the power to ask for the
removal of the military instructor. DR..
Patterson would not say today whether
he has acted with the consent and In
struction of the trustees. but from
other sources IL was intinlated that the
trustees of the institution will not back
up DR.. Patterson in what he has done
Maj. Dapray today declined to dis
cuss any phase of the situation at the
college with which his name is con-
nected. on instructions given this morn
ing, he said, by the War Department
that he shall remain silent. There is,
however. a belief in War Department
circles that the department viii not
accede to DR.. Patterson's request. and
will ask for a statement from the
trustees.
search of the records. however,
shows that DR.. Patterson's request can
not have been based on what the COL
lege has accomplished in a military
way under the training of Maj Dapray
The War Department records show
that there are "daggers'' and stars
Agricultural College. indicat ating crafty ng
progress of the college in military train
ing the past few years. Every year for the
past three years the War Department
ha <N43 tal, Il \
work at the college in letters on file
addressed to Maj. Dapray, and this year
another such letter was sent. In ad-
dition, this year a special letter was
board Of college inspectors, to Mai
Dapray, commenting him for his work
At the institution.
No Complaints to Make.
Inquiry among the students at the
college today brought out the fact that
at the last annual inspection of the
college, just before the close of tho
term in the summer, none of the stu.
dents complained Of his treatment,
Il 10 the duty Of the inspecting onacer,
VINO was Capt. Schindel. to take COM
mand Of the battalion of cadets, march
uhsm half or three-Quarters of a mile
away. while the military instructor.
who was and is Maj. Dapray, with
draws. and there question the students
IN the presence OF the president of tho
college, who was and Is DR.. Patterson.
~ to their treatment by the military
Instructor. 1t is said that neither
Prssident Patterson nor the students
made any complaint
Army Officers said today that they be-
lieve there has recently been a tend
ency to minimize the military work at
the college. This might explain. thew
said. why the transfer of Mai Dapray
had been asked for. On tho other hand.
II is said that in July. a month after
the college closed. DR.. Patterson wrote
letter to Maj. Dapray. speaking in the
Dapray's work. Army officers said to-
day they believe that II there had been
any ground for complaint against Mai.
Dapray IT would have developed long
ago. particularly in the talks the in.
specting officer has with the boys and
the president, when etiquette and cour-
tesy. as well as the custom, dictate the
practice of marching the boys and the
mead of the college away from the mill.
tary instructor. SO that they may speak
unreservediy and without embarrass-
ment.
Has Had Active Career.
The dihiculties at the college will in
terest not only many Washington and
Maryland boys who are and have been
students there, but almost the entire
National Guard of the District of CO.
lumbia. in which Maj. Dapray Is well
known. He was detailed at the college
as military instructor by direction of
the President Of the United States al