Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-13
Miles, Root, Porter, WI Ting Fang, odell
and Other Notables Present.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL LoUOlYAppLAuDEO
Given Ovation in Addressing Old Soldiers
from Veterans Standpoint,
SECRETARY OF WAR MAKES SPEECH
Congressman Dick Declares West
Point VIII Last ns National MIL
itary Academy as Long as
Country Needs Army.

WEST POINT, n. Y, June 1.-THE CEN
tennial celebration Of the West Point Mill
tary academy was ended today with the
presentation Of diplomas TO the graduating
class. The weather was fine and the cere-
mony took place out Of doors on that part
OF the parade grounds known as Cavalry
plain.
An open tent over a platform had been
erected for the speakers and oficials and
standing at the front OF the platform Pres
ident Roosevelt presented each new oficer
with his diploma.
1t was expected the president would
make a few remarks, but he simply shook
hands with each cadet. On the platform
besides the president we're General Horace
Porter, General Miles. Secretary Root, Sec
retary Moody, Postmaster General Payne.
the Chinese minister, WI Ting Fang; SEN
ator Pettus Of Alabama, Senator Quarles of
Wisconsin, Governor Odell, the Italian am
oassador, Mr.. Des Planches; Generals Cor
bin, Young McCook, Brooke. Rt Rev. DR..
Connauty, Schib Bey and Congressman Dick
OF Ohio, the visiting board OF the academy.
Brilliant Audience.
The audience, comprising women in FASH
ionable summer costume. and the entire
cadet corps and several hundred visitors
occupied chairs on the lawn under trees
and the clear sky and beautiful scenery
about West Point gave the exercises a
picturesque setting.
The speakers were General Dick, for the
board of visitors; Secretary Root, for the
government, and General Miles. for the
army General Dick said in part, after
giving advice to the cadets:
The wars conducted by the United States
meyer y;s,d nave 1, oeen for conquest Cuba is now
49,
freedom and contentment than ever hefora
Inc war with Spain was unavoidable and
pines as result. Our authority rnust ba
as absolute as our responsibility Thar we
knows. win now
He said that West Point would last m
long as the nation needed an army.
Secretary Root said it was a fundamental
principle that the military branch OF the
government should be subject to the CON
troll OF the civil. He told the cadets to
bear in mind that their education was not
by any means complete and they could go
on learning to be good soldiers until they
retired II they were lucky enough 70 live
until the age OF Ga. The regular army in
time OF war, he said, was a nucleus of a
greater organization including the militia
and national guard and he advised the
cadets TO get the good will OF these bodies
and OF citizens interested in the army.
Tribute to, ChRnee.
The secretary told how an old onacer
in the late war happened to come under
the command Of a young volunteer oficer
and yet continued to do his duty without
giving any sign OF the feelings he must
have had as an old and faithful soldier.
His conduct attracted attention and the
president" said the SPEAKER. picked him
out TO lead the American army to Pelvin.
General A. R. Chaffee. 1t was because he
ruled his own spirit that the president
thought he could take q city,
The crowd of visitors gradually left early
in the afternoon and after the president
had gone there were few on the grounds.
General Miles remarks today were chiefly
those OF an older to younger officers and
referred almost wholly to the business OF
war. He said there were two supreme
moments in the life of a soldier. one when
an officer knows he is doing what the
enemy thinks he is not, and when he feels
one more victory has been added to Ameri-
can glory. General Miles was loudly
cheered and applauded when he arose to
speak.
The president left here this afternoon by
train for Washington.