New-York tribune., 1918-06-13
Secretary Makes Army An
nouncement in Awarding
Diplomas at West Point
Tells Graduates To Be
Ready for Next War
Gen. March Asserts Neither
U-Boats Nor Ofensives
Will Alter u. S. Policy

WEST POINT, June 12.-More than
million American fighting men will
be in service in France in the near
future, declared Secretary of War
Baker, in an address to-day to 1877
graduates Of the United States Mill
tary Academy.
Supplementng his recent announce
ment in Washington that United States
troops Exceeding 100000 in number"
have disembarked on French soil, the
Secretary told the cadets "it is not un-
fair to speculate that we will shortly
PASS the million mark
General Peyton C. March, chief of
staff, who made commencement day the
occasion of mis- first official visit to the
academy. said that neither the menace
OF raidinl German submarines off the
Atlantic coast, nor the territorial gains
OF the enemy on the Western front,
will affect Americas policy of sending
men to France as fast as ships can
carry them.
Graduated Year in Advance
Today's graduation was that of the
class of 10, whose members were
awarded their diplomas a year ahead
of time. the first since 1917 to attain
that distinction, because of the urgent
demand in the army for trained officers
Secretary Baker, who awarded the
diplomas, told the graduates they were
destined to .ave part in leading the
armies OF the nation to victorious
peace. After that" he said, "as off
GERS OF the regular army, you will pre-
pare. not for war, but be ready for
another war if anybody wants to start
it,"
Mr.. Baker declared the United States
became a belligerent because Ger
many tried to crush individual human
happiness and liberty, which we call
the theory Of democracy"
We have Joined a combination in
which France and Britain and Italy and
the United States have assembled in
France the greatest forces for right
eousness the world has ever seen" he
continued. eve see in that combina-
ton submergency of international
discord and of national selfshness.
Rollcall of Nations
II can imagine that when the God
Of nations calls the roll of those who
have been faithful England will say,
Z am here with my ships and my men;
NY losses are grievous, but my spirit
IS unbroken.'
Italy answers, too, from the Alps
TO the Asiago; she say: My sons are
here dying and struggling, but hold
ing the mountain passes against those
who would crush us
And France - oh, the beauty and
sublmity of her response: Il am here,
bleeding at every pore, my country in
received to itself again hundreds of
thousands of my dead children But
our heads are high, our determination
IS unbroken. They shall not pass
And when America answers does
It net thrill you to hear: we have
crossed the danger infested seas as
Lafayette and Rochambeau did long
years ago; we have co0rdinated our
workshops and fabricated our mate
rIals. We are marching hundreds of
thousands strong, and we will continue
20 be there to the end.'"
General Marchs Address
General March told the graduates
they were fortunate in becoming Of
hcers at this time, when they will be
able under war conditions to achieve
rapid advancement
Commanding men at the 'front.'"
said the chief of staff, will test to
the last ounce every bit of military
knowledge you have gained here. You
will find your character tried to the
utmost, and if any fail it will be be-
cause they will not have the character
to stand up under the strain. The
regular, the volunteer and the drafted
man all have spirit They will fight
hf-utr Nd Il
man who has been through West Point
But what you must show is implicit
obedience to orders and loyalty to the
very core, so that the men under you
may exhibit the same characteristics.
For they will look to you.
1--WE have shipped to France large
army, and the units of this army have
already won the praise Of our allies.
We will put into this war the neces-
ter what that number may be-"
The honor man of the class was John
Paul Dean, of Worcester, Mass. The
nine who stood next in scholarship
are: ?. H. Timothy. Ohio; II. J. Casey,
New York; r. f. Hamilton, Pennsyl-
vyania; P. H. Tansey, Tennessee; Hans
Kramer, Michigan; A. G. Mathews,
california;; A. B. Shattuck, Montana;
". c. Grenata, New Jersey, and l.. H.
Hewitt, Iowa.
After a, fortnight's furlough the new
officers will join their commands. Half
81 the class of 20 are on furlough un-
III July %, when the rest of the class
VIII go on furlough until August 49,
AT 10 a. m. tomorrow the battalion Of
ssadets remaining here will open Camp
Morton F. Smith, named in honor of a
former commandant
On Friday morning nearly 400 cadets
will report at the academy. Many of
them are enlisted men.