Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-07-02
CAUSES PANG TO
EVERY OFFICER IN
NAVAL SERVICE
Use of Pur!oined Examination
Papers at Annapolis Hits
Traditions of Navy.
CODE OF HONOR IS PECULIAR
Rigid Discipline Develops Certain Pc.
vuliar customs-Razing and Use
Of Intoxicating Liquors Stamped
Quito Succeed at An. .
napoIs Means Hard
Work.


napoIis Means Hard
Work.
Annapolis, Md.-The revelation OF
widespread use of purloined examine
ton papers by the young men of the
United States Naval academy Is caus-
Ing pang to every officer in the serv'
Ice, for 1t hits them in a quarter OF
which they are very jealous-their
honor.
The traditions of the service have
been stained-this graduates Of ten
and twenty years standing admit.
The situation seems to be that the
course of study in the academy has
been too severe for the material which
1t gets. The prescribed studies are
fitted to turn an exceptional candidate
into an exceptional naval commander,
and the academy gets only the ordi-
nary run of young Americans.
However, this is not given here as
a palliation. The naval code of hon.
or Is a peculiar one, but it does not
in any way cover up cheating to pass
exams"
To succeed at Annapolis the ordi.
nary young man has to work very
hard. He has to make himself an au-
tomaton. The authorities do all they
can to turn him into a machine.
Six days week he has to jump
out Of bed at six o'clock; and on the
seventh at seven.
He has his allotted number of min
utes for dressing and for breakfast;
he has his study hours and his reci-
tation hours all rigidly marked of,
and at ten o'clock he must 60 to bed,
willy-nilly.
Orderly Habits Taught.
He must keep his room in apple pie
order, hang his bedclothes over the
footboard in a prescribed way every
morning, and be ready for an inspec-
ton Of his bureau drawers at all
times.
Even his dancing is prescribed and
forced down his throat, whether he In
clines to the society of the fair sex or
not.
Under this rigid discipline the naval
cadets have developed certain peculiar
customs, some Of which are continued
after they leave the school. They have
even their peculiar language, which is
largely unintelligible to an outsider.
The duel persisted In the navy many
years after it had died out in Ameri-
can society elsewhere. The frequent
serious and sometimes fatal boxing
matches are a relic of the old time
encounters OF pistol and sword.
Navy discipline has troubled the
halls of congress on numerous occa-
sions. Most often hazing was the sub
ject. Brutal and humiliating treat
ment Of lower classmen long be-
smirched the academy, as it did other
American higher institutions Of learn
ing.
The fatal Branch Meriwether boxing
match In 1905 was the cause of revela-
tons of peculiarities in the academy.
The fight was held in a room OF Ban
croft hall during supper time one eve
ming. Meriwether was then a third.
class man and Branch q f1rst-class
man. To hold the fight at such a time
involved the consent and connivance
Of first-class men, for under the core
such fights must be refereed by first
class man; another senior class man
must act as t1mekeeper, and in this
instance 1t was necessary for two
company captains at least to fail to re-
port absent from supper formation the
principals, their seconds and the time
keepers. 1t was also necessary for the
officer of the deck (hoor) upon which
the fight was held to fail to report
what was taking place.
Fist Fight 10 Fatal.
Many such fights had been held be-
fore and everyone, including the sur
geon, who had to patch up the partici-
pants, had winked at the practice.
But this time Meriwether became
unconscious in the twenty.second
round and later died without regain
ing consciousness. A rigid investiga-
ton was held and punishments were
meted out, but the very superior Of
f1cers who imposed the penalties had
little stomach for their work because
they realized that everyone involved
had simply followed the code.
Indeed, to a landsman 1t seems that
the naval cadet will tell a falsehood
to protect q brother officer at any
time. 1t Is a part OF the code that no
classmate shall report another for a
violation Of academy regulations un.
less as consequence OF his failure
to make such report he himself will
be reported and for a more serious
offense than that of which his class
mate is guilty.
Conditions have improved somewhat
at the academy of late years. Secre-
tary Of the Navy Josephus Daniels has
stamped out serious hazing by dismis-
sing man guilty Of violating an or.
der In this regard. He further threat
ened to sentence hazers to one years
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