Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-06
YOUNG ARMY DOCTORS
CLASS GRADUATED AT SCHOOL IN
- THE DISTRICT.
9 - go - 49,
Secretary Taft Gives Heart to HearI
Talk to Young Men-Thelr
Duties Outlined.

A. the annual graduation exercises OF the
army medical school yesterday AFTERNOON
az told in The Star, Col. Charles l.. aei|
mann. president of the school, presided ana
addresses were made by Secretary 1alt'
Lieut.. Gen Chaffee and Prof. Charles a
r. Reed. M. D. Chaplain Charles Z. flefce'
Artillery Corps, U. s. A, pronounced 'le
invocation and benediction. In addition 10
the sneakers and the presiding officer sur
eeon General O'Reilly occupied seat on
IN. nlatform. The hall was appropriately
drained in American flags for the occasion
and in one corner the band of the Engineer
corns rendered a musical program before
and during the exercises The nan was
crowded with friends and relatives OF the
gradua ties long before the time tor the eA tha
graduating class in full dress UNIFORM,
were seated in the two front rows OF sea.s .
In the center of the hall. On the leIt Oh
the platform the members OF tHe lac9I.s
of the school were placed. AS soon as Sec
retary Taft and Gen Chaffee arrived the
exercises were opened with an lnVoeatioil
by Chaplain Pierce and fror- ,Reeo mas
introd,lced by Col Heizmann. Prof. Reed
talked chiefly of the relation OF the pre-
fessions to the public service and the work
that could be done by them. In secretary
Taft's address, before presenting me nien ~ ],
hers of the class with their diplomas ne
asked them if they realized what they were
doing in entering the army: he deciareo
that in taking up the public service they
put aside all hope Of ever securing Weam ns
| in nrivate life. The army surgeon. ne SAID,
was frequently compelled to calculate very
nicely in order to make his salary cover MS
eNpe' No Brilliant Future.
yuhen he marries, continued Secretary
Taft. he asks woman to share life that
,s not without its petty worries and in
which no brilliant future, painted in rose
ate coIors. is ahead. In the field the sur
eeon is required to expose himself quite as
frequently and to perform acts that require
unite as much personal courage as the line
officer. but the young mem entering the
medical corps must put aside any ambition
for the purely martial honors that come to
the officers of the line.
Judge Taft asked the class If 1t had con-
sidered these things, and then painted a
picture of the advantages of the life of an
army surgeon. He-spoke of the new lesgis-
lation the department Is endeavor1ng to OBJ
tain for the medical corps, and said he
hoped all the members of the class would
get to be colonies. as forty officers OF that
rank had been asked for in the new legis-
lative bill. However, he said, II the grtdu-
ates were content to stay back and let
nromotion come to them through years of
service there is little possibility of their
ever becoming colonies, ana the secretary
said he fervently hoped they never would,
under such conditions as they would not
deserve to secure promotion. He spoke of
the opportunities offered members of, the
medical corps for original research and the
| necessity for taking advantage of those OPP
portunities While the members of the
class could not look forward to great
wealth or high rank in the army, through
| the opportunities offered them, they could
| look forward to long and useful careers
| that would give their names to posterity as
benefactors of mankind, if they cared to
| take advantage of the opportunities that
would be thrown in their way. The Secre-
| tary then presented the diplomas.
| When the diplomas had ALI been distrib-
| uted General Chaffee was introduced to pre-
sent the Hoff medal to the man standing
I highest in the class. General Chaffee made
4 short address before presenting the
| medal in which he told of the high record
the line officers of the army have for
| the medical corps. He then presented the
| medal to Lieutenant Lloyd Llewellyn
Smith The honor graduates were then an
| nounced and the exercises were brought to
| a close with the benediction of Chaplain
Pierce All of the graduates are first lieu
| tenants and assistant surgeons In the army.
Their names were printed In The Star yes
| terday.