Evening star., 1922-07-05
Racial Discrimination Has No
Place in the Naval Service,

Although the attack on Ensign
Kaplan in the year book of the Naval
Academy was disposed of when En-
sign Olmstead, its editor, publicly
was reprimanded by Assistant Secre-
tary Of the Navy Roosevelt, the news
papers of the country continue to
discuss the reasons for the action. 1t
is accepted as necessary that racial
or religious prejudices be eliminated,
especially from the naval and mill
tary services. but some Of the papers
excuse Olmstead's act on the ground
that it was the impulsive nature of
youth which impelled it. The ma
jority. however, condemn 1t most
severely and some at least declare
that the offenders should be elimi-
mated entirely from the Navy.
1t is not especially the case Of
Kaplan, now closed. that interests
the Chicago Post, but it points out
that cit is high time that those in this
demonstrations should be made to
realize that they are living in the
United States of America and not In
Russia. There is altogether too
much readiness on the part OF Few
to vent their petty religious ana
racial prejudices." And there is Won
der on the part of the Lansing jour
nal whether it is not fact that
there must be something wrong in
a national institution which permits
the inculcation of such ideas. The
people are spending large sums on
the education OF their future naVai
officers and this is being wasted II
they are not being trained to under
stand American freedom and equal
tty." Amplifying this argument, the
Dayton News insists that here In
America no man must be Disseminated
against because of race. creed or pre-
yious circumstances. If our democ-
racy is SO impotent or rather so
fiimsy a thing as some would have
us believe it is time for serious con-
sideration of our future as race.
Which leads the Springfield News to
say that Assistant secretary OIL tne
Navy Theodore Roosevelt Jr., quite
properly reprimanded in behalf of the
department with which he Is asso-
ciated the editor-in-c chief of the year
book for a perfectly uncalled-for insult
to a member of the graduating class
"a Jew"
the Binghamton Sun is convinced, is
well worthy of praise in that he
has kept his head, refusing to pose
as a martyr. Kaplan was IN posi-
tion to make trouble. He chose the
wiser course, and by comparison ms
assailants are made to look very tiny,
indeed" Because there is no country
in fine world where there is less
nreiudice against the Jewish race
than in the United States" the Akron
Beacon-Journal points out that 70
Overlook an offense OF TINS nature
would be to condone the very, prac-
tice that is in direct opposition to
the ideals for which, the Naval
Academy is supposed to stand. But
the punishment is too light, the
Omaha World-Herald believes. as the
"offense constitutes an anrone hot
only to the person at Wnom ~ was s
the American people. Men have been
dismissed from the academy or thelr
commissions withheld Tor oHenses
much less serious. Not only rs tne
good name of the academy lnvolveu,
but a test of Fundamental aeM3GIaIy TsI
In the government is at stake. n1cn'
IN the view of the wheeling Regis
ter. emphasizes the fact that or kap-
Ian II NAV be said that any boy VINO
can finish second in q class after
probably four years OF persecull9n1
and then say forget 1t. IS ane go.a tha
thro,ieh and through and made OF the
stuff which Uncle Sam Wahls Anos' in
But the New Bedford ,ss2 !. STANDARD s. nos q
rather wonders whe,netr hnt Kanian y T. nos was
persecuted because he was Nictin
Of anti-Jewish prejudice. II recalls "
Classmates a n .contended that while it
was commendable in him ,ss to s.se,sea seek ret st
participation in non-scholast1c pusi-
ness arseting the class ,o,1ers ss 3 ane,s: eare.s
!. - he valued on the social and
s.tase 4. that sna9si.s the student ID n.
oere ,;ases something we'll w6rth
having M that college offers. + seems
to us that there is something aa-
mirsb1a in this tradition, but how
ione IL viii stand against tho In
nuence Of those who are not Inter.
ret out Of their college is q qnes-
ton. .,i.
AZ ant I'm 4, ts,e fact that when Hob
IS SON ss As Il INC acaae9y he also was