Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-02
GET THEIR DIPLOMAS
First Glass at Annapolis
Graduates Today.
MR.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
HE MAKES A STRENUOUS SPEECH
TO CADETS
After the Ceremony He Takes Trip
Down the Bay on Torpedo
Boat.

oOdI.
ANNAPOLIS Md, May 2-The special
train conveying President Roosevelt and
party to Annapolis to attend the graduating
exercises at the Naval Academy arrived
here at 9:45 o'clock this morning over the
Pennsylvania railroad AS the President
alighted from the train he was received by
Superintendent Wainwright and his aid,
Lieut.. H. j. Ziegemier. A battalion of ma
r1nes under command of Capt. Lucas was
drawn up at the station. The party pro-
ceeded in carriages to the academy grounds,
the President going directly to the superin-
tendents house, where there was a short
wait to permit the assembling of the cadet
battalion at the chapel.
The day was most propitious, and the
cadets in their trim uniforms presented a
fine appearance.
great crowd gathered around the grand
stand, where the cadets were to receive at
the hands of the President the diplomas
which would make them officers in the
United States navy.
Inspected by the President.
The President walked across the campus
to where the cadets We're lined up and
passing down the line, looked each cadet
scented to the officers of the academy by
Commander Wainwright While this was
going on the shore batteries fired the Pres
identS salute of twenty -one guns. A. the
sound of bugle blast the cadets stacked
guns and with a precision that pore evil
dence of the discipline which they have to
undergo, marched by tours to the chapel
where benediction was pronounced by the
chaplain. In the meantime the President
had been escorted down the aisle by Com
oya1n ofy,rr- yirrtk
seat on the platform. the battalion OF
cadets, the officers and others, receiving the
President standing
Commander Wainwright then introduced
Dr. George L. Winston, a member of the
board Of visitors. who delivered short ad-
dress in which he spoke of the navy as
being the most important factor IN the
country's history. He was loudly applauded
when he referred to Dewey as the hero OF
Manila and Sampson, the hero Of Santiago.
and at the conclusion of his remarks was
ngratulated by the President:
The graduating class discarded their
guns ana accoutermentS, and advanced
close to the platform. President Roosevelt
then addressed them his remarks being
frequently interrupted by applause.
President Roosevelt's Speech.
The President said: In receiving these
diplomas you become men who above al
most any others Of the entire Union are
to carry henceforth the ever5 present sense
Of responsibility which must come with
the knowledge that on some tremendous
DAY it may depend upon your courage your
preparedness, your keen intelligence and
knowledge of your profession whether or
not the nation is again ito write her name
on the worlds roll of honor Or to know
the black shame of defeat. We. all of us,
earnestly hope that the, occasion for war
may never come, but MNN las come then
this nation must win; and the prime factor
in securing victory over any foreign foe
must of necessity be the United States
navy. If the navy fails US. then we are
doomed to defeat, no matter what may be
our material wealth or the high average
of our citizenship.
1T should, therefore, be an object of
prime Importance for every patriotic Amer
lean to see that the navy is constantly
built up, and, above all, that 1t is kept to
the highest point of efficiency, both in ma
terial and in personnel. 1t cannot be too
often repeated that in modern war and es-
pecially in modern naval war. the chief
factor in achieving triumph is what has
been done in the way of thorough prepara-
ton and training before the beginning of
the war. 1t is what has been done before
the outbreak of the war that is all inn
portant.
Necessity for Preparedness.
AFTER the outbreak all that can be done
is to use to best advantage the great war
engines, and the seamanship marksman-
snip and general practical efficiency, which
have already been provided by the fore
thought of the national legislature and by
the administrative ability, through a course
Of years of the Navy Department A bat
tie ship cannot be imrrovised 1t takes
Years to build and the skill of the officers
and crew in handling it Alright can like
wise never be improvised, but must spring
from use and actual sea service and from
the most careful, jealous and systematic
training.
You, to whom / give these diplomas,
now join the ranks of the officers of the
United States navy. You enter glorious
service, proud of it's memories of renown.
You must keep ever in your minds the
thought of the supreme hour which may
come when what You do will forever add
to or detract from this renown. Some of
yon will have to do your part In helping
construct the ships and the guns which
you use. You need to bend every energy
toward making these ships and guns in
all their details the most perfect of their
kind throughout the world. The ship must
be Seaworthy, the armament lifted for best
protection to guns and men, the guns in
all their mechanism fit to do the greatest
possible execution in the shortest possible
time.
the gun screws of rapidity and sureness in
handling the ammunition and working the
elevating and revolving gear. or of quick
ness and accuracy in sighting, must be
thought of far in advance, and the thought
carefully executed in the actual work
The Men Behind the Guns.
THE best ships and guns and the most
costly mechanism are utterly valueless if
the men are not trained to use them to the
utmost possible advantage. From now on
throughout your lives there can be no slack
ness on your part. Your duty must be
present with you. waking and sleeping.
You have got IN fra in yourselves and Won
have got to train those hunddr you, in the
actual work of seamanships in the actual
work of gunnery. If The adAy for battle
| comes you will need all that you possess of
| holiness skill, determination, ability to
bear punishment and instant readiness in an
emergency. But, though without these
| qualities you can do nothing yet even with
IL do but liz