The Washington times., 1920-10-28
GAME
MAY Be CALLED OFF
Annapolis Football Men Are
Threatening to "lay Down"
Because Of Restrictions.
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began some days ago. According to
report. when nrst knowledge of haz-
ing came to him. Admiral Scales en-
deavored to secure q promise from the
upper clAssmen that the practice would
be stopped. Such promises have been
secured occasionally in the past al
though they have not been Kept al
ways. The midshipmen. IL 10 reported.
refused to give such a promise.
THINK HAzING ESSENTIAL.
It IL reported that the midshi pmen.
although mindful Of the definition Of
haxing by act Of Congress as ANY un-
authorized assumption of authority
over under classmen by upper-class-
men, pointed out. nevertheless, that
the spirit Of the navy grew mainly
out of tradition and that tradition de-
manded that the fourth classmen be
dissuaded from insubordination by
concrete reminders of their Inferior
rank. If the authorities desired to
stop hazing. the midshipmen are re-
ported to have said, they might seq
regate the fourth classmen and pre-
went upper clasmen from mingling
with them.
This the authorities did forthwith.
a step said to be without precedent
| at the institution. However. II Is
said they went much further and made
the segregation more complete than
the upper classmen recommended.
with the result that the latter be-
came resentful.
GUARDS ARE ARMED.
Though no statement was issued
by the authorities as to the method
k., af ka
classes were to be kept from that
section of the dormitories which have
been assigned to the plebes, II Is
said by upper classmen that armed
midshipmen Of the second class are
stationed, one At each of the six en-
frances to the wings occupied by
the fourth class. No upper classman
is allowed within tn s portion of the
building, and the regulation Of as
ISOLATION between the classes is SO
stringently enforced that in one case
IL IL said that two brothers. one OF
them a plebe and the other a first
classman, are living within $50 feet
OF each other and can communicate
only by letter.
OFFICERS DENOTED.
The reorganization of the regiment
has made necessary the derankfng of
many cadet officers OF the upper
classes. This the middies say in
cludes two lieutenant commanders,
three lieutenants. twelve junior lieu
tenants, thirty ensigns. and a pro
portionately large number Of chief
petty officers and first petty Off
GERS. These midshipmen officers were
all OF the secopd class.
In the part of the regulation deal
/ ing with weekend privileges. the
admirars order cuts liberties of the
plebes and upper. classmen in half.
allowing the former to go in to the
witty on the first and third Saturdays
OF each month, and giving the upper
classes liberty on the second and
fourth. this means that the members
of the first, second and third classes
will be obliged to return to their
study hall on the Saturday after
noon of the Georgetown-Navy game.
one of the biggestathletic events Of
the season. while the plebes go out
into Annapolis to spend the time after
the game in either celebrating the
victory or forgetting the defeat. In
either case the restricted middies feel
that the lines are hard and the point
touched by this game is a tender one
with them.
SAY PLEBES JOIN OPPOSITION.
On all of the regulations for their
protection. the plebes are unfavor-
able. so the upper classmen say, in
great majority, for they do not wish
to feel that they are being hampered
or are going through the academy
under conditions different from those
under which all OF the officers Of the
navy here have been graduated.
The upper classmen attribute the
entire difficulty which causes the
break with the ideas OF their su-
perior officers to the poor spirit and
what they say is an inferior caliber
OF plebe admitted to the academy
under regulations passed during the
summer to admit on high school di-
ploma or equivalent. Many of the
have been weeded out in the exami-
nations. On becoming middies they
are at once eager to get out OF the
academy. when they find that ii is
no bed OF roses.
WRITE COMPLAINTS HOME.
Since they can only be released
from the academy with the permis-
sion of their parents. they write
home enlarged tales of hazing events.
The parents take the question to
their congressman. The congress
men advise the Navy Department,
and the Navy Department requests
the academy official for an explana-
tion.
In backing UP their statements
that the present plebe class Is sorely
In need Of some guiding hand, one
upper classman said that one OF the
plebes had been found who did not
know the name OF the admiral of
the Atlantic fleet. He had been sent
Immediately by the upper classman
who asked him the question, to learn
the name. This, according to the
strict sense which the middies have
been asked to enforce. would con-
stitute an act of hazing. and IL is
such things as this that they claim
should not be suppressed IL the good
Of the service receives any consid-
GRAFTON.
Along the same line. the upper
classmen stated that another plebe
had said that nine men composed a
football team. while another did not
strong, and Is capable Of upsetting