The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-25
PRESIDENT Dimes
At FORT DOUGLAS
Brief Address Is Given in
Which the Army Is
Praised.

To the accompaniment Of sweet music
and surrounded by tasteful decorations in
the national colors, President William
Howard Taft sat down to dine in the Off
GERS mess at Fort Douglas last night in
company with 125 distinguished citizens Of
/ Utah, including the army officers Of the
Fifteenth infantry, who were the hosts
for the occasion. At special request Of
President Taft there were no speeches,
other than his own toast to the Officers
of the United States Army and Their
I Wives" following the toast to Our Pres
/ ident' by the assembled guests and hosts
( in unison, delivered standing.
! In the center of the head table sat Pres
( ident Taft with Colonel Walter 5. Scott
/ of the Fifteenth on one side and Cover
nor William Spry on the other. CHER
1 Forester Clifford PinchOt, Senator Reed
SmOOt, Senator W. Z. Borah and Mayor
| John S. BransfOrd were also seated in
( close proximity to the President.
Rising amid an expectant silence after
! the cheering Of the toast Our Presi-
dent" had died away, President Taft
said:
Presidents Speech.
Officers Of the Fifteenth infantry, and
I guests I rise tonight in direct violation
/ of the rule of the evening made at my
own request. In the last eight years t
has been my good fortune to work in
L
States army, both as secretary of war
and head of the Philippine commission,
and always have I found them superior
/ men, I have had ample opportunity to
know and appreciate highly the qualities
and chara cteristics that are common to
/ the United States army officers, and I
I have a feeling Of having served with
/ them. In the Philippines. although the
commission of which I was chairman,
was not at first in friendly relation with
the army officers, we soon learned to
know each other; TO know that our cause
! was Tor the common good and Tor the
| justification of our presence in the Phil
| ippines In that association I came to
know such men as you army officers.
| Many Of you here tonight were at camp
keithley in 1902. If L remember rightly
1 the Fifteenth infantry was camped there
at that time. And I want to compliment
the regiment even at my own expense.
/ One dark night I had attempted to pass
/ the lines at Keithley, thinking Of course
/ was well known to the sentries I was
| taught a gOOdly lesson. The guard chal-
| lenged me, and upon finding that I took
1 II as joke, he thrust a bayOneted gun
/ IN my face and forced me to explain nv
l presence faster than I have ever talked
since. Such was the common caliber of
/ the men who made up the regiment even
/ IN the ranks as I later same to know.
/ You officers were among those who
! experienced the criticism upon the recon-
StructlOn in the Philippines As I re-
/ member, you behaved, as became gallant
l American OFFICERS, and only those who
were in the islands at that time can ap-
prectate the trying circumstances which
/ taxed the self restraint of those in COM
/ mand during that period. You men are
| such as I have always found command
/ ing the regiments and divisions which
4 50 to make up the American army. Gen
/ tlemen. I drink to the officers of the
/ United states army and their wives"
/ Following this toast three hearty cheers
/ for Taft. were given at the conclusion of
which the President bidded the assem-
/ bled guests and officers a pleasant good
/ night and stepping to the entrance. was
/ rapidly whisked away in an automobile
/ IN which he was taken to the KnutsfOrd
/ hotel for the night