New-York tribune., 1902-06-12
WEST POINTS GREAT DAY
CLIUA.Y OF THE OLD ACAD-
EuYS CENTENNIAL
CADET TITUS. FIRST To SCALE THE
PEKINCI WALL RECEIVES MEDAL
FROM PRESIDENT ROOSE-
VELTS HANDS.

But the day will be remembered by many peo-
pie who were present at the various functions
Titus Day" The parade, review. lawn
party and exercises in the memorial hall were
all interesting in their but the little cere-
mony the parade ground when President
Roosevelt decorated a cadet with a medal for
meritorious conduct in the field was to many
of those who witnessed it the most impressive
ceremony of the day and an object lesson
which the young mans comrades will never
forget
West Point is always beautiful It's hills and
rugged rocks and the glorious views from it's
high points have inspired poets and artists. and
have made the place Of Americas natural
show points. 1t never looked beautiful
than it did yesterday morning when the Presi-
dent and his party arrived on the grounds. The
hills were bathed in bright sunshine. and a
brisk breeze made the air cool The roadway 70
the station. the edge of the parade ground and
the space near the memorial hall Swarmed with
visitors When the first gun Of the Presidential
salute was fired there general movement
toward the points from which the party could
be and the people who were interested in
the crowd more than in the distinguished party
in the carriages noticed that the assembIage was
unlike the other great throngs seen on former
occasions at the Military Academy
There were just many well dressed young
women, just many strapping young
diets. and more United States officers In
active service than usually seen at West
Point affairs But in addition to these there
were more venerable men, grizzIed SOL
diers than usually attracted to the old acad-
emy by the ordinary summer exercises or even
by those affairs at which foreign guests are the
central figures At yesterdays celebration there
were hundreds of old officers. The classes of
1912 and 1913 were represented by Generals
\
Deshon. and. with the exception of 1856. every
class since 1912 had some members on the
grounds. Many of them had remained in the
army, some had retired from the service many
years ago. and there some men in the
| crowd who had never served in the army except
! as cadets Some of the men had not been on
| the grounds since they were cadets many years
| ago. and one of them, walking in the barracks
| inclosure, pointed out to his granddaughter
who accompanied him. the place where he bat
| tied against his first attack of inconsistencies
| when he .'pebe and the rigorous meas
ures of discipline seemed to be unendurable
| The advantage that we who return here to
| visit our old school have over men who were
| graduated elsewhere said the old man. is
! that we find things just as we left them" And
| then he explained that while there were MANY
/ new and handsome structures in the historic
| grounds. many of the buildings were cid when
/ he ''plebe--
| But there WAS little time for inspection OF old
buildings or for the examination of the plans
| for new ones Up the dusty road the cavalry
| clattered. and behind them came the carriages
! with President Roosevelt. Secretary Root Sec
| retary Moody, Postmaster General Payne Cen
eraI Leonard Wood. General S. NJ. B. Young
and Miss Carow Men saluted. women waved
| their handkerchiefs and parasoIs. some cheered
others apPlauded, and the President smiled
| upon the picture with evident pleasure The
| programme was carried out with military pre-
cisiOn, and before the visitors fully realized II
| the first affair of the day. the escort of the
| President to the superintendent's house had
| taken place. and the cadets marched upon the
| parade ground to be reviewed by their COM
mander in chief The West Point cadets al
| ways look "a little better than ever before
| and yesterday. in the march past the review
| ing party in double time. the young men
| in their spotless white trousers and belts
and gray coats, looked their best and no one ap-
| plauded them more vigorously than the Ger
man and French military attaches and Colonel
! vcn Witzleben. who is the head of the West
| Point of the German Empire, as an officer desiz-
mated the school at Lichtenfelden.
| The President. Secretary Root Generals Miles
/ Brooke Howard CoIoneIs Mills Bingham
/ and a large number of officers made the
| tour of the line, and then formation
| was made in front of the reviewing officer 1t
! was at this stage in the exercises that Captain
| Rivers stepped TO the front and ordered Cadet
! Calvin Pearl Titus TO come forward The young
| .'pIebe" marched briskly down the line and
| stood at Attention." while the order was read
! stating that Congress had rewarded him with
| a medal for heroic conduct in the presence of
| his colonel and other officers OF the 18th In
| fi,ntry when he was serving musician In
| that regime Mt in China. HIS conduct at that
time earned him cadetship in the academy. and
this further recognition Of the bravery of the
young fellow who scaled the wall of Peking and
who was the first American enter the city
ranks.
the President fastened the decoration on the
cadets left breast. and no matter what their
| incIinations may have been, no one in the ranks
bv word look or gesture manifested any in
| terest in the ceremony. The young marched
hack To his place in the company between rows
of inmovabIe statues. and resumed the place
from which he marched few minutes before
IN receive A reward which comes to few. The
demonstration on the part of his comrades came.
however when the camp reached. Then
the statues became young lusty, vigorous
Americans. and then they gave their comrade
positfve proof of their qualification because OF
his deserved distinction
The review over the President went to Colonel
MfIs.s quarters and there. on the porch. stand
ing with Colonel Mills at his left and Mrs Mills
an the other side he received the official guests.
.,a Graduates. former cadets and their fam
.u, II was long good natured line, and the
president seemed to enjoy the affair He had
"a 70 saw to nearly every who was
n~asentsd. and stopped many of the officers TO