The Washington herald., 1920-11-18

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education is required In great many instances
an aspirant for appointment TO the Naval Academy,
even though he has been graduated from high
school, must be tutored in a number OF subjects
before he can hope to pass the entrance
examinations
To be officer of the navy or army carries
with it a certain mre--that of the UNIFORM OF the
social standing or. OF the life OF adventure it
seems TO offer Who, but the or less un-
disciplined. high spirited youth, well fed and
clothed, brought up in good home" is likely
to be such an aspirant?
College, to boys, is coIlege-whether it be a
State university. sectaran institution, private
school, or the United States Naval or Military
Academy. The hrst-year student, freshman" or
"plebe," usually expects to be hazed Frequently
he looks forward to it. If it reaches the point
of torture, he does not complainant when he
becomes a second-year student, he becomes quite
as savage as his tormentors may have been during
his first year There have been cases where students
took great pride an the severity OF the hazing to
which they were subjected.
Hazing and does go too far 1t goes beyond
the point where it is harmless "horse-play." and
becomes vicious. Why young men who have been
nice" boys, kind their mothers, pleasant, well
hammered, show strain of downright heathenism
when they go to college probably never will be
satisfactorily explained. 1t, sadly enough, is true
that they do become savage.
This strain, as well as the prankishness. comes
out at the college age. And perhaps it shows more
particularly in military schools because of the
discipline Take the boy who has been allowed to
come and go about at WILL and hold him down
strictly to set hours, set ways of holding his
chin, set positions for his body, routine. routine
routine. 1t is certainly not beyond understanding
that he will react in Some manner.
Make it impossible for him to go to dances
or to play pool FIX his hours for going to bed
and somewhere his suddenly suppressed exuberance
will break out 1t may take the form OF hazing
OF mild Sort and it may be something more
unpleasant
The recent spectacle at Annapolis, when the
cadets OF the upper classes displayed something
pot unlike mutiny, may have been the result, in
directly. OF overdose OF discipline. Merely be-
cause youth wins an appointment to the Naval
Academy instead OF going to Princeton or Yale
does not seem to be sufficient to expect
| that boy to change his whole attitude toward
life If he goes to Yale or Princeton any other
private" school, he is denied the privilege
of going to dances or down town" whenever
he pleases He is permitted TO his own judg-
ment in such things
AT the Naval Academy, it is understood, one
of the chief for the protest made by the
upper classmen their disappointment over
not being able to entertain their sweethearts al
a "hop" they, had planned for the Thanksgiving
holiday.
A little thing, OF A perfectly silly reason
for mutiny. And yet. to the collegan. than hop
! the bleating of saxophone and the girl OF ones
hearts desire, nothing is important.
Perhaps a bit OF understanding OF the
| nature OF, boys OF the college age would obviate
some OF the troubles OF the Naval Academy Off
cials and still leave the discipline which is recog
nized as entirely necessary unimpaired