Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-31
WEST POINTERS DINE
Memories of Cadet Days Are
Reviewed at Reunion,
PLAY PROVES A FEATURE
Secretary Stimson and Maj. Gen,
Wood Pay Tribute to Military
Institution.

Wooo ray I1Dute to Military
Institution.
We are living tonight old West Point
days,
We can see them dimly passing through
memorys haze;
Though we wander afar. our hearts are
And our voices call tonight. West Point
to you.
Old West Point DAYS were lived over
again with a vim hardly surpassed by
the youthful enthusiasm Of the long ago,
at the reunion of West Pointers last night
in the New Willard Hotel
There was a play, intoxicating the West
Point spirit. there We're songs Of alma
mater, there were moving pictures of
West Point scenes, there were speeches
all lauding the Military Academy and its
system, all reviving memories of the
cadet days and exalting the educational
standards taught in the government in
stitution on the Hudson
On the walls, entwined with the Amer
lean flag and corps and services banners
were West Point streamers. Classes
were assembled at table. SO that com
| elbow to elbow. Glass cries were loud
ana frequent, ending usually in compli-
mentary call to some other class Toasts
were drank to every individual and men,
ory connected with West Point
Oldest Graduate a Speaker.
The oldest surviving graduate, Brig.
Gen. Horatio g. Gibson, class of AZ. vet
eran of the Mexican and civil wars, now
Lightweight years old. honored the oc-
casion with his presence, and spoke of
the army post Of his times Secretary
of War Stimson. told what he thought of
the West Point spirit and he held 1t in
highest esteem Maj. Gen. Leonard
Wood, chief Of staff not himself a West
as the leaven which makes the military
establishment an institution of national
pride.
., Lieut.. Col. D. H. Boughton. class of
lauded his alma mater as the most
democratic institution in the United
States. Brig. Gen. Erasmus M. Weaver,
class of rs. head of the Coast Artil-
lery. told Of how. when a Sept" forty
years ago, the June Bugs" hazed him
and others Of his kind. Brig. Gen. John
M Wilson. former chief of engineers,
| class Of go. talked about the Old in
structors who had taught him when he
sat at the feet of wisdom
Inc play was the thing. The Re-
| generate of Robert Murdoch" was it's
tltie. and 1T was from the pen of the
James A. Moss, class of a. In three
| acts 1T told of the change Of heart of
stan officer, converted from his con-
tempt Of West Point by a visit to the
old place after thirty years
Lindsey, an ancient colored messen-
ger of the War Department at the door
| of Maj. Gen. Wood, was one of the
| features of the play. He appeared as
| himself. and was natural in the part,
and heartily received by every man
| his friend among those assembled
Members of local stock company
| assumed some of the roles Others
were taken by army officers
Cast Of Characters.
The cast was as follows: Lieut. Col.
| Robert Murdoch. class 80, Mr. Floyd ].
Harris; Lindsey, messenger, by himself:
Mr.. Wright, stenographer, Wilmarth
| Brown: Maj. Henry Thayer. class so.
Frederick Forester; Maj. U. S. Lee, class
80, Addison w. Smith, Maj. Robert E.
John NJ Cullum, class 60, Theodore
Hardy; Cadet Sheridan a plebe, Lieut..
William c. Sherman; Glory June. Miss
Jessie Glendinning; Cadet Mcclellan.
Beauregard, Lieut. Alexander D. Surles;
Cadet Burnside, Lieut.. Karl S. Bradford;
Cadet Jackson CJack'D, Everett Butter
field.
Brig. Gen. Robert X. Evans, class of
10, was POSTMASTER. used a shrill whistle
to command attention, would not sit
down nor talk louder than a shout, al
thought interrupters admonished and had
something to say about the great part
the whistle will play in winning future
battles.
"A bulwark for the nations defense
school the model for all the world.
United States This was West Point
as described by Col Boughton, the first
speaker
Capt. J. r. Lindsay. class Of 80, sang
an. old college song, Alma Mater" all
by himself. except the chorus, which
every one Joined. Capt. w. K. Wilson,
class of '92, also was of the army
vocalists, and sang ''Reveille.'
Gen. Weaver, in telling his remin1s-
cences of his time at West Point. de-
scribed the haZing of Sept" who was
hanged by the neck by a crowd of June
Bugs who afterward were given just
time enough to leave camp. One Of
them, now a colonel Of cavalry, borrowed
his civilian clothes and has never re-
turned them. Gen. Weaver, as a cadet,
had to stand on the mantel. and de-
scribed other PAGES through which he
was put.
Stimson Lauds Spirit.
When 1 look around this company"
said Secretary Stimson, II feel that I
can say, with Washington: Truly the
liberties of this country are safe.'"
Lauding the character and spirit of
the officers of the military establish
ment, Mr.. Stimson said the efficiency
Of the army is due more to the West
Point education that to the interests
of the civilian in its development. The
West Point spirit, he said, Is q founda-
ton upon which will be builded up q
sound and permanent military policy.
The deficiencies in national defenses, he
declared, is not due to any trouble with
the army, but to the faulty methods of
the nation in dealing with the army. He
expressed confidence that the military es-
tablishment is being developed on the
right lines, as seen in all arms Of the
service and will work out into a system
adequate to the character and needs of
this nation.
The military establishment will con-
tinue to be, as he expressed 1t, bone of
the bone and flesh Of the flesh of the
American people, The army, he declared.
Is not to be regarded as an evil and
burden, but as a privilege and a benefit.
useful in time Of peace adequate in time
of war.
Gen. Wood, discussing the plan for
the expansion of the army. said that in
the scheme of reorganization the