Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-06-03
ROCK ISLAND MIDSHIPMAN ONE
IN CLASS WHICH GRADUATES AT
ANNAPOLIS ACADEMY THIS WEEK
Especial to The Argus.)


| Annapolis, Md, June 3.-Wilmer
Cox Of Rock Island is one Of the
class of midshipmen who graduates
at the United States naval academy
here this week and his father, H. E.
Cox, has arrived to witness the ex-
ercises which began yesterday.
This is known as June week"
and is the first regular graduation
program the academy has had for
the last three years, the exercises
during the period of the war having
been curtailed in ceremony.
June week" began yesterday
when the board of visitors were
formally received, and it will end
on Friday, with the graduation OF
the first class and the farewell ball
in the evening to the graduates.
On these two dates and incIuded
| between them are distributed those
many snappy drills, and gay social
functions which make up June
| week., commencement season
which has many features of inter
est which are not paralleled by the
commandments of any other insci-
| tuition.
This year they are of special IN
| terest, not only because of the IN
terval since the last one, but be-
7 cause the graduating class and the
student body are much larger than
ever before, and the naval academy
has expanded and assumed a pol
ton of greater interest in many
ways.
Midshipmen VIII Drill.
The members of the board of
visitors were received by Rear Ad-
miral Scales, superintendent of the
academy, and the heads of his de-
partment yesterday morning. A half
hour later the visitors saw the 1000
midshipmen give an infantry drill.
At 2:30 in the afternoon the board
organized, and from o'clock until
5:45 its members, with the women
of their families and officers OF the
naval academy and their families,
were received at the quarters Of
Superintendent Scales.
During the dress parade. begin
ming at 6 p. m, various prizes for
scholarship. practical work and
athletics was presented. There were
two social events last night For the
graduates and their friends there
was an informal dance in the gym
nasium, and for the undergraduates
and their friends a musical in the
auditorium.
The series of drills which form
the finale of the color competition
among the sixteen companies of
the regiment. took place today. At
2:30 this afternoon there was an
exhibition of gymnastics and the
use of various weapons. such as
foils, sabres, bayonets and canes.
At $50 there was a drill in the use
of guns of large caliber and tor
pedoes. Tonight there will be dress
parade and an informal hop for the
members of all classes and their
friends.
Tomorrow morning the com
petitive infantry drill will be con-
tinued, it being Impossible to COM
plete it in one morning owing to
the greatly increased number of
units which compose the regiment.
During the morning there will be
a business session of the board of
visitors, and at 2:30 in the after
noon a drill with boats under
oats. sails and steam, under the d.
rection of the department of sea-
manship. Part of this will be regu-
lar fleet maneuvers directed from
a. flagship by the midshipman com
mander. Heretofore small launches
have been used for this portion of
the exercises, but now the fleet
of twenty-four submarine chasers,
more than a hundred feet in
length. is available, and their use
will add greatly to the drill as a
spectacle. There will be the usual
dress parade in the evening, an IN
formal hop for the undergraduates
and friends and garden party at
the superintendent for the gradu-
ates and their friends.