The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-20
President Taft Is Rendered Hearty Reception Al New
 York Banquet
FIRST YA.E PRESIDENT
 OF THE UNITED STATES
Greatest Precautions Are Taken In Guarding the President While He Is In the City and at
 the Banquet.

New York, March 19.-With songs of the gridiron and the diamond, with a deafening cheer and rousing chorus of Here's to good old Yale, drink her down." President Taft was greeted to- night as the first Yale President of the United States by more than 150O gradu- htes of the famous old university. The graduates came from all over the coun- try They ranged from slvery-haired old gentlemen,. whose degrees bear the date of 59. down to the youths who left their alma mater only last June.
 The dinner, one of the largest ever given in New York, was served at the Waldorf Astoria. The immense ball room was decorated with a lavish wealth of flowers From the vaulted ceilings count less chains of pink blooms fell in grace full loops. The balcony guards and the side walls were twined with roses. The speakers table, at which President Taft sat with President Hadley of Yale, and other distinguished graduates of the uni versity, were canopied with artificial rep resentations of the elms of old Yale.
 Reminders of Vale.
 Back of the table was a huge drop cur tain bearing a painting of the old brick row, which was a reality in President Taft's student days, but which is now mostly a memory, only the central DOT ton, Connecticut Hall' being preserved. In front of the curtain and back of the speakers was a replica of the old Yale fence. The representation of the old barrier was complete, down to the last details. Many of the initials, including the "W. H. T." of MT. Taft, and the "A. T. H." of President Hadley, were faithfully reproduced.
 President Taft was probably the hap piest man at the dinner, which was given entirely in his honor. He was not hailed President, however, but as "Bill'-the salutation which punctuated the cheering as he entered.
 The only set speeches of the evening were made by President Taft and Pres ident Hadley. The latter spoke first, re- spending to the toast, "Neath the Elms," while the former, speaking ex- temporaneousy, had for his subject, For God, for Country and for Yale" There were other informal speakers.
 Among the guests at the dinner were Henry W. and Horace D. Taft, brothers of the President.
 Many Precautions.
 The precautions taken to guard the President tonight exceeded anything of the kind ever seen in this city. Large squads of blue-coatedg policemen were thrown about the hotel Inside, the cor riders fairly swarmed with detectives, secret service men, and special watchmen. MT. Taft confined himself almost tirely to eulogy of ale, and of the Yale spirit, which he declared had been guid- ing influence in his life since the time he was six years old. MT. Taft spoke large ly In reminiscence of his own days at col lege, and those of his father. Not con- tent with graduating five of his own sons at Yale. the President declared his father had sent the boy of dead friend through the college.
 This is a personal gathering" he ex- planed. and you must expect some per- sonal references
 MT. Taft said he was carrying the Yale spirit to the discharge of his duties of President. which office, he declared, was the greatest responsibility which could come to an American
 Taft Is Hesitant.
 And" he added, it is a great deal better to leave that office with the plaudits of your countrymen than to enter
 
 opportunities for failure, or if not failure of a deal level of doing nothing, are so many that I look forward with great he's itation and reluctance to the results of the next four years"
 Eight called voice, and others took up the chorus.
 of do all that ought to do in the next four years, rejoined the President, T will have done all that is in the contract and the next four years can take care of themselves.'
 "As I look upon my life' said the President, 'it seems to me that I have been a Yale from the time I first had consciousness.
 My father when he went to Yale, had to walk all the way from Vermont and back again. He didn't have such thing as a dress-suit up to the time of the senior commencement, when he hired Baptist minister to make him one. I tell you these incidents of my father to show you the influences that prevailed in our home They were Yale all the way through.
 "Of course, we were all not orthodox in our home. You may have gathered something of this from what happened during the recent campaign. But those who had doubts along that line might have had their minds cleared and their fears allayed by the spirit of Unitarian ism which came with the atmosphere and ln1uence UT dic.
 HadIey's Address.
 president Hadley, in his address, said of I look back 30 or 35 years, I seem to see the placid figure of young Taft reading a 20-page composition to the al- most equally placid figure of Professor Cyrus Northrop. The reading is done the comment begins.
 Was there anything in the first 19 pages that was not either expressed or implied in the twentieth?
 "'No sir
 "'Then leave out the first IS pages and begin at the 20th.'
 "He has learned his lesson; and the country rings with applause for the man who says what he has to say-who neith- ., begins before he Is ready nor keeps m after he has finished
 Next day, and this regard as the most important lesson of all--he learned certain enthusiasm for abstract prin-