The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-18
PICK LEE AS YOUR HERO,
ADVICE TO STUDENTS
Secretary of Navy Daniels Lnuds
Southern Leader in Address ut
Washington and Lee.
ExEMPLAR TO ALL YOUNG MEN
Orator OF Day at Finals, Secretary
Is Honored With Degree OF Doctor
, of Observation-Disclosures Stu
dents Get Diplomas.

Lexington, Va. Juno 17.-Josephus
Daniels, Secretary or the Navy, was
given the honorary degree doctor of
literature by Washington and Lee Uni
vcrsitY at it's annual commencement
exercises to-day. Mr. Daniels was ora =
tor OF the day. and In his address
urged the graduates to emulate the
example" OF manhood set by General
Robert Il. Lee. who was for many Years
president of the university. Eighty
ninc students received diplomas. de-
Srecs In course being conferred as
follows:
Macter OF arts. three bachelor OF
arts. thirty six bachelor Of science.
eleven; bachelor of laws. thirty-ninc
III [ had one wish more than an
other for the South, IT would be that
II double portion OF the spirit of Cen
erhl Robert Il. Lee should fall upon
them anG That those who lead should
receive his mantle ana worthily wear
H."
so declared Secretary Daniels in his
address The sccrcturys earnest mes
sage TO the students was get Il hero
aud he urged them 10 choose Lee ag
their examplar. pointing out that their
future would De marked by the sort of
heroes they chose.
All Hero W0rshipcrS.
We arc all hero worshipers-or we
should be-ind give you the example
or the perfect product Of what Worship
OF the MODEST hero can produce in
urging you To choose Lee as your ex-
anplar. az Lee chose Washing ton"
said he II cannot tell you the alchemy
or the transmigration by which one
who worships Il great man comes to
partake OF the qualities Of the object
OF the worship"
SECRETARY Daniels said that he had
recently received In response to let
ters 70 former students Of Lee their
estimates OF the man which he said
gave him better insight into Lee as Il
teacher and "a comrade than all the
histories and Biographies. Those old
boys' said he. 'tSho wrote me saw a
ee that not even his soldiers saw"
Declaring that the biggest thing in
going to college was not what a stu
dent gets out of textbooks or fioit,
Lectures. the secretary. expressed the
belief that students in the large col :
lcrcs were not receiving the inspiring
comrcdeship and leadership OF that
class Of teachers who give more OF
themselves TO their classes than they
giNt OF the boolis Lees syTupathetic
nature and cNinccd interest in each
one personally is I've ideal for those
who aspir" to teach youths, the sec
rotary declared.
Il envy he said, the men who had
n. privilege when boys OF sitting at
The I"ct OF Lee"
Ills Failure Not Failure.
Secretary Daniels declared that Lee
brought all the world TO gee that fail
ure was not failure. but that Il was
IN reality the triumph OF devotion to
duty, which endures after the tuInult
and the shouting ends" He spoke of
the craftsmanship and courage shown
by Lee when. seeing that there was no
hope for victory, he laid down his
sword at Appomattox TO devote the
rest OF his life 70 teaching the young
men OF the South.
sometimes / shoulder" said the
secretary. TO think what would have
been the fate OF the South In It's SUI
prcine hour OF need OF great man if
me leader or the army had not been
bis enough and brave enough to admit
mat victory was impossible.
Most soldiers ia Lees place would
nave been tempted 10 liS,en TO the re-
peated counsc!s TO send the army into
the businesses of the mountains and
the inaccessible swamps and keep up
an inter!nnaOle warfare rather than
10 save their men and their country.
by facing conditions and making Tho
most or them. There were not want
ing brave soldiers who favored this
course. suppose such a one had been
IN command? Who can imagine the
horrors and woes of thc men and wo-
men Of the South? And when Lee
ameathed ms sword lie sheathed il.
When ne recognized that there wa.
no nope Tor victory, and that surrender
was the course OF wisdom, with him
the war was over. How many ef our
brave soldiers lost their opporSSnitv
ior service in peace by failure 10 turn
thclr faces to the future, and by not
recognizing and embracing the truth
that peace hath her victories no less
renowned than war
No Asset hut Memory.
In almost every section Of the