Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-01
PRESIDENT ONCE
. MORE At HOME
HIGHLY PLEASED WITH HIS
TRIP IN SOUTH
Puts Coal Into Boiler on Cruiser and
stokers Break Shovel Into Pieces
for souvenlrs-compllments
Officers and Men
nv Associated Press.

by Associated fTeSS.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 91.-President
Roosevelt regards his southern trip,
Just ended as a most enjoyable and
profitable experience. Particularly did
he enjoy the sea voyage and the presi-
dent expressed himself in the most en-
thusiastic terms regarding the ships,
officers and men of the squadron.
While at sea Sunday the president
made speech to the officers and men
of the West Virginia. He had just
completed an inspection of the entire
ship. In the boiler room a profusely
decorated shovel was put into his
hands and he was asked to throw a
shovel of coal into a particular boiler.
He threw In two, and the boiler was
Immediately christened the Roosevelt
boiler" The shovel was passed around,
that every stoker might shovel coal
with It, 1t was then speedily demol-
ished into bits, each bit being retained
as a souvenir.
At the conclusion of the speech the
Nresident was given three rousing
eers by the officers and men.
lie president said in part:
t is a privilege for any president
'orne on board a squadron of Ameri-
warshfps such as these, not alone
see the ships but to see the men who
idle them. From the admiral down
z
every American should be proud of
what l have seen aboard this ship;
the discipline, the ready subordination
of each man whether officer or enlisted
man, to duty, the care taken of the
men and In return the eager, intelli-
gent, self-respecting zeal of each man
In doing his work. At any time some
Emergency may arise in which the
lafety of the ent- 7hip will depend
cool courage of some one 'n.- -rnong
you, perhaps an officer, perhaps =
enlisted man. Any man in the whole
ships company who does his full duty
can claim as his own the honor and
repute of the ship and has a right to
feel a personal pride in all she does.
You are doing your duty well and
faithfully In peace. Remember If ever,
which may Heaven forbid, war comes,
1T will depend upon you and those like
you, whether the people of this country
are to hold their heads higher or to
hang them in shame. l hope that no
such crisis will ever occur, but have
entire faith that if it ever does occur
you will rise level to any demand that
may be made upon you and that by the
way you trailn yourselves and are
trained In time of peace, you will fit
yourselves to do well should war arise.
NOW a special word to the officers.
Captain Arnold, as a boy you witnessed
a great fight of the Merrimac, when
she came out to Hampton Roads, sunk
the Congress and the Cumberland and
the next day met her match in the
Monitor. That was fight fraught with
great honor for our people. The captain
OF the Congress met his death in the
fight, winning an epitaph which de-
serves to be remembered forever in
lDe American navy. His name was
Joe Smith and his father, an old navy
off1cer, was in Washington When
word was brought to him that his
sons ship had surrendered he answered
simply, Then Joe is dead To have
earned the right to have his death as
sumed as a matter of course In such
conditions is of itself enough to crown
any life and every American officer
should keep ever before him what ia
implied therein. Let each of Won off,
GERS remember in the event of war that
while surrender may sometimes he
IJusthable, yet that q surrender must
always be explained while it is never
necessary to explain the fact that you
don't surrender. no matter what the
conditions may be.
tN''A tragedy occurred this morning
man lost from the Colorado. Such
cases are from time to time inevitabIe
In a service like ours. Under such cir
cumstanees everything must always be
done as in this instance everything
was done, for the rescue of the man,
But you men are fitted for lighting
because you have the fighting edge
Ans means that you are willing at
all times to face death in the perform
ance of your duty. The man who died
this morning was an excellent seaman
who had done his duty faithfully and
who died, in the performance of that
duty: Therefore he died in the service
of his country exactly as much as
u he had died in battle, and deserves
as much honor
Men, ! am glad to have seen you.
~. uon uilnk tnat anywhere under
~ ~ tnere couiu pe round a better
set Or eleancut. vigorous, self-respect-
ing American citizens of the very tybe
mat makes one proudest to be an
American"