Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-10
ACCUSED MIDSHIPMtN
MAY YSUBMITSTATEMENTS
Hazers Recommended for Dismis-
sal We're Guilty of More
Than One Offence.
COURT MARTIAL NOT NECESSARY.
Hazing in Future Can be Completely
Eliminated by Cooperation Of
the Cadet Officers Of the
First Class.

lDc Nduck OliiCefS OF tDe
First Class.
The Naval Academy authorities have
received a communication from the
Navy Department, in which they are di-
rected to transmit TO the accused mid
shipmen the information that they will
be allowed to submit statements in con
nection with report of the board of in
vestigation recommended their dis
missal from the Academy.
II is understood that all midshipmeu
recommended for dismissal had accord
ing to the proof. committed more than
one act of hazing In such cases the
President may dismiss without a court
martial. II is further understood that
where a midshipman has been found
guilty Of only one act of hazing, he will
be punished by something less than
dismissal from the service
The general understanding shared by
officers at the Naval Academy had been
that a court-martial was necessary in
order to dismiss midshipman for
hazing. a recent Interpretation of the
law. however, gives II the other effect.
Il is possible, however, that some mid
shipmen may ask for aScourt-martial,
and it may be granted him. Upon this
action it is. likely that the subject of a
general investigation of hazing will
depend
In fact it is probable that the friends
of some of the midshipmen recommend
ed for dismissal will seek to palliate
his offense by showing that hazing is q
general practice at the Academy, and
that this particular midshipman only
followed the custom There will be lit
tie difficulty in establishing this.
: Friends of the Academy feel that a
general investigation of hazing at this
time will be unfortunate Little doubt
exists that ii would disclose just such
n condition as was shown in 190G,w
1t would have been quite possible TO
dismiss the whole midshipman body.
After about a dozen had been dismiss
Cd, and the Academy authorities had
announced that they proposed 30 con
tinue the crusade until material was
exhausted, President Roosevelt stepped
m and ordered the procedure to stop,
and Congress promptly passed an Act
amending the hazing law in several
particulars, among which was making
it possible to punish some cases of haZ-
ing by less penalty than dismissal
Should an investigation of the sub
ject of hazing take place, and a
similar condition be indicated, as it al
most certainly would, there would be
nothing to do but to proceed until the
Academy was nearly shorn of midshIp-
men OF the upper classes. No one be
lieves that the executive and legislative
branches of the government would per
NIT this, so that it appears TO be far
the wisest course to concentrate efforts
against any continuation of hazing this
year at the Naval Academy.
The board Of investigation appoint
ed by Admiral Fullam made a most
thorough examination into the subject
of hazing which may have taken place
since the admission of the new class
II may be taken for granted that every
offense was unearthed as far as possi
BILE. IT does not seem that any GOOD
would be accomplished by an inyesti
cation which would GO further back
and would probably lead to wholesale
dismissals, and in the end would bC
brought to a close by action of the
President or Congress, as in 1906.
No Injustice is visited upon sucf
members of the present third class tha
may be dismissed. Notwithstanding
the custom among the midshipmen. .they
we'll knew that hazing is in violation
of the regulations and the laws of th,
United States, and the fact was specif
ically brought to their attention on nu
merous occasions BY Admiral Fullam
There is considerable significance il
the fact that Commander Louis NJ NHl
ton has been designated as command
ant Of midshipmen, doubtless upon IN,
application of Captain Eberle, who vii
| assume his duties as superintendent
of the Academy on September 20. Com
mander Mutton has had special oppor
tunities OF gaining a thorough knowl
edge of the hazing customs among tn
midshipmen, and can take effectiv
means to suppress it entirely
A great deal depends upon the COOP
Grafton Of the members Of the frs
lass-the cadet officers. Everyone ac
quainted with conditions at the Acad
emy knows that with the sincere he'll
these young men. hazing could not ex
ist. Whenever the facts in instance
of hazing have been made public, won
der is expressed over the possibility 0
its occurrence without the knowledg
OF the discipline officers. There may
Of course, be some cases wnere the dis
cipline officers are not as energetic a
they might be in such cases, but j
must be said, in fairness to them. tina
Bancroft Hall is a tremendous build
ing, with some two miles of corridors
and that from long practice, the mid
shipmen have become wonderfully
clever in carrying on hazing withou
/ detection.
. With the honest cooperation of tn
I cadet-officers, however, there is not tn