Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-06-03
PL0MAS GIVEN
43S M|DSH|PMEN
Presentation Made by Presi-
'dent-CeIebration Follows
Formal Ceremony.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ANNAPOLIS. Md, June a.-Four
hundred and thirty.eight midshipmen
who have completed four years of
the rigid training routine at the
United states Naval Academy re.
ceived diplomas at Annapolis this
morning from the hands OF President
Coolidge. Nearly all will be commits
stoned ensigns in the Navy
Of special note is the fact that half
the members of this class will. remain
at the Academy this Summer to re-
ceive training In the newly established
course or aeronautics and aviation.
The other half will be assigned to
ships this week. as has been the
custom.
Graduation exercises were simple
and impressive.
They were opened with prayer by
chaplain Sidney K. Evans, and then
Rear Admiral Louis NJ. Mutton, the
superintendent, spoke briefly, empha.
sizing the triple loyalty the graduates
or the Navy owe-''to those above YOU
to the men of your command and to
yourselves"
Wilbur Lauds Coolidge.
Secretary of the Navy Wilbur also
spoke briefly, devoting most of his
e,
declaring his election by an over
whelming majority by the people of
the United States marked a new dec
lara ton of attachment TO the princi.
pies of the American Constitution.
he also referred to the fact that
Washington had resigned his military
commission after the Revolutionary
war, In Annapolis, and in so doing
had demonstrated. he said, that the
oCt inf,
rather than in war, and that the true
aim of every nation should be achieve
ments through peaceful effort rather
than through military operations.
secretary Wilbur also said that he
had been chosen for the Navy port
folio in President Coolidge's cabinet
and had been moved to return TO the
naval service after So years of civilian
activities by the fact that he was a
graduate of the Naval Academy and
and might be able to further the
interests of the institution and of the
midshipmen by his personal knowl.
edge of their affairs.
President Gives Diplomas.
The President followed Secretary
Wilbur, and, after delivering his ad.
dress, presented the diplomas.
The first man to receive a diploma
was Harry E. Hubbard of Baltimore.
the first honor man of the class of
1925. Then followed. in order OF
graduation merit, the IS others who
had been graduated with a star
rank, having received better than So
per cent as an aggregate mark for
the whole course.
The others received their diplomas
in alphabetical order.
.niti nhaara from the mid h ~,
greeted many of the graduates as they
received their diplomas. The leading
scholars and athletes came in for loud
salvos, and the midshipman command
ers OF the different units of the regi-
ment were especially cheered by those
under their command.
The loudest and most prolonged
cheering, however. was accorded to
those graduates who had by the
closest shave" qualified for gradua-
ton.
Throw Away Caps.
At the conclusion of the formal cere-
mony the space in front of the rostrum
was cleared and the graduates per-
formed the snake Dance which, by
academy tradition, has always marked
the transition of midshipmen to off,
GERS, and at the same time throwing
away biiC AiiNdS caps WHICH nave DGGn
the symbol of their former status.
There was a wild scramble by the
audience to secure one of these SOU
venirs.
AS the graduates danced, the plebes
dashed out of the armory and made
a wild attack upon the sacred pre-
cincts of Lovers Lane" from which
they have been excluded until the
time of the graduation of the first
class advanced them TO higher
privileges.
More than three thousand saw the
graduation In the stand with Presi.
dent Coolidge, Secretary Wilbur and
Supt. Mutton were Rear Admiral Ed.
ward w. Eberle, chief of naval opera
tons; Capt. Adolphus Andrews, naval
aide to the President Gov. Albert C.
Ritchie of Maryland, members of the
academic board of the academy, and
a number of visiting officers.
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