The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-13
HAzING Al ANNAPOLIS.
A Defence Of Some Ancient and
Harmless Customs.

To THE New York HERALD: I was
very much interested In the editorial
article In your paper of Tuesday dear
ing with the situation at Annapolis. as
II Is the first intelligent newspaper ut
terance that I have seen on what has
come to be a very serious situation.
There has been no hazing. In the
sense of physical brutality. at Annapolis
for years. But the navy tradition, as
old as the navy itself, that the p'ebe
must be taught his place is very much
alive. and during his entire first year
he IS subjected to endless harassments
and humiliations none of which involves
violence or actual hardship and out OF
which his real manhood Is expected to.
and actually does. develop. AS the
plebe shares this treatment with hun
dreds of others II Is never case OF
individual humiliation save where the
ple5e shows peevishness or the spirit
Of revolt. when OF course he Is marked
out for unusual discipline.
You can no more stop the operation of
this system than you can stop the flow
OF the tides. Annapolis men consider it
their duty to carry on the traditions of
the institution. and TO the credit of
the average plebe class be IL said that
very rarely more than a small minority
ever objects. II should be remembered
too that every upper class man has
been through the same thing and is only
administering what he took himself in
his time.
You can accept my word for IL, as
one who knows. that the majority of the
present plebe class feels bitter humilia-
ton over the order segregating 1t. This
order grew out OF the complaints OF a
handful Of piebes who wrote home to
their mothers that they were being mis-
treated The mothers in turn complained
to Washington and the Honorable
Josephus got on the job.
Theoretically a plebe class Is segre-
gated to protect it. Imagine the feel
ipgs OF the red blooded boys in this
class over being isolated to protect them
from rude upper class men, The shame
OF these boys will follow them all
through the navy. and they know it.
And ths absurdity of it all lies in the
fact that one of the complaints that
brought this segregation about was a
letter from a p'ebe to his mother saying
he was only allowed one glass of milk
at lunch. when upper class men had two
and three glasses.
The discomfort Of the majority OF the
plebes over segregation was plainly
shown recently after a navy football
game. At the conclusion of the game
an officer addressed the men of the Sec
ond. third and fourth classes. telling
them there must be no demonstration
against the segregated plebes. VINO oc-
c.pied a space In an opposite stand.
Nevertheless the upper class men sang
derisive song at the plebes. which had
been especially composed for the oc-
casion. This song was as insulting as
It could decently be made. yet the plebes,
at whom II was aimed. rose and cheered
their tormentors.
The life OF boy at Annapolis Is hard
It is one continual grind OF study. with
few bright spots over the year. Yet
there never IL any complaint save when
the sacred right to carry on certain ira
ditional customs. harmless enough in
their way. Is trampled on. There has
been n very decided tendency to abolish
certain traditions since Admiral Scales
went to Annapolis.
The bitterness OF the regiment of mid
shipmen at this time Is due In large
measure to the very harsh infliction of
dement's for offences which the boys re-
gard as entirely within their rights
For instance. from the beginning of
time there has been a silly but amusing
ceremony on what Is known as Hun
fDh fhof fs A,,n e.
before graduation. On that night II is
the ironclad rule that every midshipman
shall eat his dinner with his knife, dis
carding forks, spoons and other tn BILE
paraphernalia. Admiral Scales. for some
reason known only to himself. tried to
stop this really harmless performance.
When the boys sat down TO dinner last
Hundred Night they proceeded TO eat
with their knives in spite Of orders to
the contrary.
The entire regiment was ordered from
the tables. aiken on the parade ground
and forced to stand at attention for
half an hour. They then returned to
the dining hall and calmly proceeded
to eat with their knives. Again they
were ordered out and sent on three
n. "A
was given on their return that they
would have to abandon the time hon
ored custom. There was not a response
from a man. but when seats were re-
sumed each man picked up his knife
and finished his meal with It.
The administration deliberately invited
this situation, and of course proved ut
terly unable to handle II. II had the
choice Of passing II over or furnishing
the entire regiment. 80 It passed 1t over.
shall not 20 into such silly orders as
those not allowing boys TO have nhono-
graphs In their rooms. prohibiting men
training for track athletics from ,u.,-
ming abroad In trunks. refusing to allow
girl visitors TO attend swimming meets
because they should not gaze on boys in
bathing suits, and similar orders. which
have added TO the general irritation.
Boys who go to Annapolis are ex-
pected to emerge as men, real, red
biooded fighting men. Our navy Is
made up of such men who learned their
first manhood at Annapolis. when haz-
ing was hazing.
In every plebe class there are num-
Der OF men who simply won't do. The
sooner they get out the better. This al
ways has been recognized. and such men
have been quietly wecded out on the
very sensible ground that II they cannot
stand a little Raging they surely are
not the stun out Of which admirals are