The Washington herald., 1922-06-03
COL. ROOSEVELT
GIVES DIPLOMAS
TO MIDSHIPMEN
Acts at Naval Academy
In Absence of President
And Sec'y DENLY.
$40 ARE GRADUATED
Commissions Granted 4OS
While Over 100 Resign to
Enter Business.

You are now officers in the
United States navy. As such you
will represent our country over the
seven seas and in the four corners
OF the world. BY you we will be
judged in many nations. This Is .
heavy responsibility. but you can
meet 1t. ] congratulate you on the
life you have chosen. A life Of
service. and as such the lordliest
life on earth"
This was the hnal Injunction Of
Col. Theodore Roosevelt. Assistant
Secretary of the Navy. in present.
ing diplomas to the midshipmen
who were graduated yesterday at
the Naval Academy.
In his address to the class Col.
Roosevelt said in part:
Nations ideals Clean.
You may command obeyance by
your rank, but unless you COM
mapd loyal devotion by your char
acter. those under you will never
serve you as they would otherwise.
You must pattern your lives SO
your men swear by you. not at you.
Our country's aims are clean. and
her ideals are high. our giant
strength and our armament have
been used in the past and will be
usedt in the future only for the
defense Of our rights and for the
bcnefit OF humanity"
Last of War Glasses.
More than ordinary interest at
tached to the commencement, as
the class constituted the last Of the
wartime classes. having entered the
naval institution in the summer of
1918 few months before the sign
ing of the armistice. The class
has a roll of $40. OF whom 3s3 au-
dramatically receive their commits
sions in the regular line of the
navy. twenty-five have availed
themselves Of commissions as sec
ond lieutenants in the Marine Corps
and more than 100 who received
diplomas have resigned to engage in
business pursuits.
The ceremonies therefore marked
the climax of a long period of un-
certainty among the graduates as
to whether they would get their
commissions at all. owing to the
provisions Of the limitation Of arm
ament conference. and the conse-
quent reduction in the personnel
OF the navy
WashinEtonians Attend.
Col. Roosevelt oficially represented
the navy in the absence Of President
Harding. who was detained in
Washington by official business,
and Secretary of the Navy DENLY,
who is on his way to Japan with
the members Of the Naval Class of
1881 for a reunion as the guests of
Admiral Uria, imperial japanese
navy. sasmember of that class The
Marine Corps branch of the service
was represented by Gen. John j.
Lejeune.
Prominent among the naval offi-
GERS were Admiral Robert E
Coontz. Chief OF Operations: Reas
Admiral Thomas Washington. Chief
of the Bureau of Intelligence, Navy
Department.: Rear Admirals Capps
and Long. Washington. and Rear
Admiral Hillery B. Jones. com
manding the midshipmen's summer
practice cruise squadron.
Social Washington also was well
represented in the audience. a ma
jority Of the guests remaining over
for the farewell ban tonight. which
was a brilliant climax to the weeks
festivities. The guests were re-
ceived by Mrs. Wilson. wife of Ad-
miral Henry b. Wilson. superin-
tendent of the Academy, assisted by
Midshipman Howard ]. Waters. of
Connecticut. of the new seniors,
hosts of the occasion!
The Washington boys who were
graduated were: Frank Burroughs
Birthright. Anthony Leo Danis,
Beverly Mosby Coleman. Valvin
Robinson Sinclair, Armand James
Robertson. volney Ogle Chase. John
Norton Johnson, John Ermonso on
Stephens. jr.