The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-12
WEST POINT
centennial.
EVentful Day Closes With Ban-
quet and Speeches.
Gen. Miles Responds to Toast of
"The Army"
ROOCEVEIn SDEAK s
ROOSEVELT SPEAK S
In Response to Address Of Well
come by Col. Mills.
InduIges in "reminiscences of
the Cuban Campaign.

West Point, June 12-The event of the
evening at the celebration of West Point
centennial, was the banquet given by
the officers to their distinguished guests.
1T was held in Grant hail and covers
were laid for SOC The hall was lavishly
decorated and Illuminated with colored
lights. The POSTMASTER was Judge Ad-
Tocate General c. 3. Davis The toasts
-rera.
our Guests" responded to by the
italian Ambassador Signor Dss
planches
American Universities and Colleges
by Or. William r. Harper, president OF
Chicago university.
Congress and its Relations to the
Military Academy" David q. Hender-
son, speake OF the house of representa-
tives.
The Army" General Miles.
THE Navy" Captain French f. Chad
"The staff and the Army Schools"
General Corbin.
The Volunteers Major General Dan
iel F.. Sickles.
'The National Guard" Major Cen
eral Dick. Ohio National Guard.
General Miles in an anusiOn to the
strength of the army, said:
1T should never be decreased to that
extent that it viii become so weak as te
be unable to give adequate support to
the civil government of our country,
and a the same time it should never be
expanded to the extent that it might
constitute menace to our liberties
'fThe experience of one war" cOntin-
ued the general, '.is handed down to ad
vantage. The men sehooled in the great
civil war and the war of the frontier
were in command of our small army
which achieved success during the last
brief war between the United States and
Spain
The celebration of the one hundredth
anniversary of the establishment Of the
West Point Military academy reached
its climax Wednesday. President ROose-
welt was the chief guest and there was
a brilliant crowd Including army ana
navy oflce1s, cabinet officers, adies in.
bright costumes and handsomely uni
formed dinlomats
Immediately after luncheon. the hun
dreds of visitors sought Memorial hall.
new stone structure. where the eXer-
cises were held. The president, escorted
by the cadets, and leading "A notable
party Of officers, came across the parade
ground and soon after his entrance the
speaking began
Colonel Mills made an address of well
come and then introduced President
Roosevelt, who spoke as follows
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
Colonel Mills, the graduates of West
Point, and you men and women who are
drawn to them by ties Of citizenship or
bv the simple fact that YOU are Ameri-
cans and therefore Of necessity drawn
to them (applause). I am glad to have
the chance Of saying a word to you to-
day. There is little need for me to say
how well your performance has COM
pared with prophetic promise made on
your behalf by the greatest of Ameri-
cans Washington (applause) This in
stituEOn has completed its first hun
dred years of life. During that century
no other educational institution in the
land has contributed as many names as
West Point has contributed to the
honor roll of the nations citizens (ap-
plause).
Colonel Mills, claim to be historian
and 1 speak simply as a reciter of facts,
when / say what [ have said and
more than that not merely has West
Point contributed a greater number Of
the men who stand highest on the ma
tion's honor roll, but I think beyond
question that, taken as a whole, the
average graduate of West Point during
this hundred years, has given a greater
amount Of service to the country
through his life than has the average
graduate of any other institution in this
broad land (applause).
Now, gentlemen, that is not surpris-
ing. That is what we have a right to
expect from this military university.
founded by the nation (applause) But
am glad that the expectation has been
made good lapplauSe,) and of all the
institutions in this country none is
more, in the proper sense Of the word.
absolutely democratic than this Here
we care nothing for the boys birthplace.
for the boys grade. for his social stand
ing, Eere we care nothing save for his
worth if he is able to show 1t (applause3
Here you represent with almost math-
ematicaI eXactness the country
geograp phically. You are drawn from
every walk Of life by method Of
chance, meant to insure and which in
a great N maJOrity of cases does insure
nothing but active youth Here YOU
come together as representatives, of
America in the higher and more pec1l1iar
sense than can possibly be true of any
other institution in the land save your
sister college that makes similar pre-
Darations for the service of the country
on the seas (applause).
This morning I have shaken hands
with many of you, and I have met the
men who stand as representatives of
every great struggle. every great move
this great nation has made for the last
80 or 60 years There are some still left
among the older Of you who took mart
In the Mexican war, a struggle which
added to this country a territory vaster
than has changed hands in Europe as
the result Of all the wars of the last
Two centuries. I meet always. when 1
see any Of the older among YOU. men
VINO took part in the great civil war
Wnen this nation was tried as in a
furnace the men who were called upon
to do the thing which had to be done
unoer penalty of making the memory
OF washington himself worthless he
cause if you had failed then. failure
would have been written across tnp
~ -eSoIu OF aus works. FINALLY, I see the
younger men as we'll as the older ones
fhe men whom I have seen myself take
part In little war war that was tha
1nerest sklrmish compared TO the st1-l1z-
gle In which you fought from 81 to '65.
ana yet war that has had almost ns
lar reaching effect not merely for tha
DESTINY Od this nation but therefore
NR9A the destiny Of the world, the war