The sun., 1905-01-31

NhI1JR LEE...............Asst secretary
Of time. on account OF the pressing demand
for officers on the ships OF the rapidly grow
ing navy The weather to-day was about
"a di-agreeable IA the calendar affords.
Snow began 10 fall early lust evening, and
4 by ~ o'clock this morning thick blanket
/ of white covered the academy grounds.
! The President arrived from Washn gton
on n special train at 1890 o'clock. accom-
panied by Secretary of the Navy Morton
and Mrs Morton, Secretary of Wnr Taft.
I Secretary Loeb Commander Winslow of
/ the Bureau Of Navigation and Mrs. Winslow
and several Others.
1. Capt. ". IT, Brownson. superin ten dent
/ OF the Naval ACADEMY. accompanied 10y
members Of his staf and m escort of ma
I rnes met the President and his party at
! the railroad station and con Quoted them
To the waiting carriage company of
ma rinea stood at attention "a Mr. Roosevelt
! emerged from the station, and the bugle
call The President was sounded by half
a dozen navy buglers. The President and
his party proceeded TO the house OF Capt.
! Brownson. and after q short rest there
went over TO the armory. whore the grad
uating exercises were 10 he held.
rhe inside Of the armory which IS one
Of the fine new buildings erected under
the extensive scheme Of improvement
recently authorized by Congress presented
picturesque sight. II was planned 10
have the whole battalion of midshipmen
perform 4 drill in the academy grounds.
but the snowdrifts were so deep that this
part Of the programme had to be aban
doned. The entire body OF midshipmen
was drawn up in military formation inside
the armory. however. and the President.
escorted by the superintendent of the
academy and a detachment from the
marine battalion. marched down the whole
length of the great building between two
lines OF future officer of the navy.
The a1nory at Annapolis Is said 20 have
a floor space larger than that Of Madison
Square Garden in New York The availa-
BILE seats we're fairly well filed with friends
OF the midshipmen Tho building was
Pavly decorated with greens and the
national emblem.
There is no superfiuous ceremony IN
connection with the graduation OF a class
al Annapolis A soon a. President Roose-
Welt reached the platform, Chaplain Clark.
the much beloved sky pilot" Of the middies
came forward to invoke the divine bless
ing Then Capt Brownson introduced
the President Of the United States. There
were cheers from all parts 81 the great
hall as Mr. Roosevelt began 70 speak. He
said:
Capt Brownson members Of the gradu
ating class Gov, Warfield and the other
midshipmen and their friends and kins-
| men here gathered together: | fail 10 see
/ how any good American can be other than a
! better American when he comes here to
: Annapolis and sees the Academy as II is
and as It soon will be. thanks TO the wis4
/ munificence of Congress. and | am not
| surprised that you who graduate from
! this institution should make the kind of
I men that as rule, you do make after
: ward: should show the qualities OF cour-
age. of lofty fidelity TO duty. OF devotion
to the flag and OF farsighted prepared
ness 10 meet possible future emergencies
should show the traits which think Capt
/ Brownson, can say without fattery, CharHc-
terize the service TO which you belong
L am not surprised that you should show
these traits, for should be heartily ashamed
of YOU II you did not. More than any
other people in this country, with the sole
exception Of those in the sister service
who hnVe had your advantages, YOU owe
peculiar fealty to the nation which has
trained YOU which has given you career
In after life. a career IN which. IL you do
your duty, you ara sure 70 lead honorable
p lives, and 10 deserve We'll OF the republic
{ and a career IN which there l. always the
chance that you naysprng into one OF those
few places 10 be occupied by the men Of
the nation who win deathless fame for
themselves by the way in which they serve
the nation in the hour of the nations need.
"On the one hand we have the right 10
expect peculiar measure Of SELF -saCriiic-
ing service from you, On the other hand,
wa lave the right 10 expect from the rep
resentatiyes of the people peculiar care
for your interests. II il wei that every
public man should feel under o particular
obligation TO see 70 the welfare Of the amy
and the navy.
B Gov Narfield, IL you will pardon the per-
sonaI HiluAon, | want TO thank you for the
way in which You have made evident your
feeling toward this institution. for the re-
Ception you gave just the other night 10
these very men about 10 graduate. IL is
well that they should understand that
because Of the position they hold, the
Governor OF the great State In which the
( institution is situated recognized their
/ possibilities OF usefulness to the country,
the obligations due them, and the obliga-
tions we have n right TO feel that they will
recognize 70 the whole nation in return
There are n good many baseless alarms
which some worthy people feel from time
TO time IN thlS country, ana Hnlch Otner
less worthy people affect 10 feel, hut OF all
foolish ctimes, Of all haseless figrnents OF
/ disturbed ina kination. the CRY OF miitaTism
in this country is the most foolish and the
most laseless. Not only there does not
/ exist now but there never has existed in
recent time any nation SO wholly free as
/ this is from any danger Of excessive mill
! tarism. so wholly free from any danger
of an undue growth Of the military spirit.
The danger Is now. will be, and always
: has been. the exact reverse; the danger is
/ that we do not take sufficient thought in
! preparing the men and material which will
make our attitude in claiming to be great
/ nation respectable. | would be sorry TO
eee us content TO assume the position Of
nation unwilling and unable to play great
/ part in the world, unable 10 hold its own
, In the shock Of arms should II ever be
, nccessary-whch / most earnestly hope
( that in the lifetime Of no man here present
I IL will be ecessary-should 1t ever be
necessary, and hope 1t will not be to ep-
! peal 20 arms.
Il should he sorry 10 see US take the
position Of avUwed weakness take the
position that we did not intend To rank
ourselves among the great Powers Of the
] a.rrb | ahpuld Ia sprrx "a 30 TINT. lttt