Evening star., 1922-06-16
0[MSTED
GIVEN REPR|MAND
Treatment of Fellow Class
man Cruel and UnWarrant.
ed, Says Roosevelt.

Eugene j. l.. Olmsted of Des
Moines. Iowa. editor Of the Lucky
Rag. the yearbook of this years
Naval Academy. has been officially
reprimanded by Col. Roosevelt. act
ing secretary Of the navy. for cruel
and unwarranted" treatment OF Leon
ard kaplan of West Virginia, fel-
low member of the class.
Secretary Roosevelt told Ensign
Olmsted that he had been guilty Of
IAN action which casts a grave doubt
as to your possession of those quail
the United States Navy and added
that "the department will require
from you in the future evidence Of a
fundamental change In your attitude
toward your comrades in the service.
Responsibility on Olmsted.
Other members of the class especial
ly associate editors. the naval secre-
tary asserted. undoubtedly were
guilty in some measure for the af-
front to Kaplan. which consisted in
perforating the page in the yearbook
containing his photograph and BIZ
ography so that it might be removed
But. added Mr.. Roosevelt. the pri-
mary responsibility rested on Ensign
Olmsted
m giving out the reprmand Acting
Secretary Roosevelt made a statement
In which he expressed the belief that
no racial antipathy was behind treat
ment of kaplan.
"A most serious mote in this in
stance at the academy" Col. Roose-
welt said. was struck by the query
in certain peoples minds as to
whether the action had been taken
because Of racial reasons. Feeling as
strongly as I do how un-American
any such distinction as this should
be. l have gone most carefully into
this phase. ! am happy to say that I
am convinced that. bad though this
incident was, no such motive was be-
hind 1t.
The records of the Naval Academy
show that in the class of 1922. nine
teen entered their faith as Jewish.
Certain Of these men were among the
| most popular in the class. Further
more. number of our officers in the
| either Jewish or of Jewish extraction.
No Distinction of Race.
THE traditions of our country have
! always been exemplified by our Navy
We pride ourselves that in the service
| there are no distinctions of race or
| creed"
The reprimand. which automatically
| record in the Navy. follows:
Il. Your statement of May oS to
! the superintendent of the Naval
Academy. concerning the treatment of
one of the members of your class in
| the Lucky Bag, of which you are
| is satisfactory neither to the super
| intendent of the academy nor to the
department.
80. The department considers that
your action in permitting the issue
of this publication was cruel and un-
associate editors are undoubtedly
also guilty in some measure in this
matter. but the primary responsibility
must rest upon you as editor in chief.
"3. At the outset of your career in
a service which requires the closest
| it's members. your conduct by its
cruelty to a comrade merits the de-
partment'S strongest condemnation.
II. You have been guilty of an
action which casts gave doubt as
| to your possession of those qualif1ca-
United States Navy. Your action is
neither in consonace with the ideals
of the people of the United States
nor in accordance with the high
standard of conduct in the service of
which you have become a member.
IS. You are hereby reprimanded for
your action in this matter and you
are cautioned that the department
\ will require from you in the future
/ evidence of a fundamental change in
your attitude toward your comrades
in the service.
receipt of this letter, a copy of which
| will be filed with your official record"
Ensign Olmsted is attached to the
battleship Wyoming.