Evening star., 1951-08-26
West Point Cadets Plan Drive
Wipe Out Scandal Dishonor

Ically elected committee of cadets
to guide their fellows, without any
interference from Athe military
authorities. The cadets make the
rules. They can change them.
They supervise their enforcement.
They have always been merciless
to those who break them. They
are SO today.
They differ sharply from the
academy regulations, which are
laid down by the authorities, and
which may be broken as often as
Ia man thinks he can get away
with it, but every cadet has always
been honor-bound to report the
slightest hint of a violation OF the
honor -code rulings to the cadet
committee which enforces them.
If it finds a man guilty, it turns
him over to the authorities for
dismissal Cor a lesser punish
Iment, for unintentional offenses.)
That is why the corps blew up.
The ring had deliberately broken
cadet-made rules. There was no
doubt about that. Details were
revealed, with amazing frankness,
by some cadets, who made sur
prising and unexpected call on
this writer at his hotel. They
came because one Of the accused
was an old friend. To him they
confessed that they were getting
exactly what they had coming to
them, and their only desire was
to get away from the scene of
their fall as soon as possible, and
start their lives over again.
Literally Broken Hearted.
They were almost literally
broken-hearted. They said that
they still loved West Point, and
respected the honor system that
they were too weak to observe.
They pointed out that they had
so much regard for it that they
frankly admitted their cheating
to the honor committee, and the
board that took over from it.
They had been weak enough to
cheat, but they were strong
enough to tell the truth. They
knew that they would be kicked
out for doing so, but they
wouldn't stoop low enough to lie
when asked to give their word of
honor.
They told their tale grimly
some sobbing as they described
sessions with high-ranking gradu-
ate fathers, who preferred loyalty
to their own old code to joining
in fight to save the sons who
had disgraced it. The story they
unfolded was that of a number
OF upperclassmen, driven to des-
peration by the near-certainty
that they would be dismissed for
failing an examination last Nav.
They told of nights spent I'M
frantic study, beneath shielded
lights, after taps, before they
finally caved in and accepted the
assistance, offered by the we'll
cheating ring when it
became aware of their plight.
They knew that they were doing
wrong, and they were reasonably
sure that they would be exposed
as soon as the conSpirators ap-
preached anybody who respected
the code enough to turn them in.
Don't Blame Fellows.
They don't blame their fellows
for turning against them. They
felt the same way. about other
cheaterS in the past. They were
bitter about the half-dozen of
their accused comrades, who per-
sisted in denying their guilt, and
their main hope was that every
offender would be caught and
kicked out, so that West Point
could be clean once more.
Their charge that some guilty
men remain in the corps was dis
counted by both the authorities
and the members of the honor
committee on duty with the plebe
training detail at West Point. The
latter believe that the whole corps
is on its toes, and that no violator
can last long, if any survive. It
was sentiment that was echoed
vociferouSly by hundreds of
Cadets who were interviewed in
their barracks at night, during
the summer training at nearby
Camp Buckner. In fact, what
started out to be an interview
with few men there turned into
a semimass meeting.
: The corps leaped at the chance
to talk to a reporter and impress
him with the fact that 1t was true
to its code; that the Cadets
themselves turned in the Offend
ers, and had no sympathy for any
cheater. Twelve leaders Of the
corps openly pledged themselves
to head the resignation movement,
if necessary, and II members of
the 24-man honor committee, sta
toned at or near West Point, are
making plans for new honor
drive as soon 5as their colleagues
rejoin them next week,