Show I I Text of President Roosevelt's Speech Before West Point Graduating Class WEST VEST POINT N. N Y June 12 The CUP UP The The text of ot President Roosevelt's address follows As one who was born and reared within a few miles of West Vest WestPoint WestPoint Point I have always been fa familiar familiar familiar fa- fa with the long bong and glorious record of or the United States military military mili milt tary academy and I have always alwa's thought of ot the officers and cadets stationed here as my friends and neighbors I wish I could have been here to attend in person the brilliant nt ceremonies reviews and the entertainments of the past few days At this moment we come to the culmination culmination-an an event which marks not only the close of four years of oC preparation for a great career but also the Induction into the army of the United States find and its annual infusion of oC new blood whereby our military leadership leadership leadership lead lead- is kept young oung forward looking and virile This academy and its sister school of oC Annapolis are the personification personification personification per per- of ol democracy in the equality of opportunity they afford afford afford af af- ford uninfluenced by prior social position or economic standing st. The They nurture patriotism and devotion devotion devotion de de- to country They t teach ach that honor integrity and the faithful performance of duty are areto areto areto to be valued above all personal advantage or advancement Their success is written in the long Jong and brilliant record of ot service which their graduates graduate rendered to the nation It is true that in your curriculum you ou ha have been studying study stud studying ing a profession profession one one in which the need of ot specialization has greatly Increased in recent years But this is true of many other professions The development of ot modern civilization calls for Must Remember Nations Nation's 1 Needs eeds Yet with specialization it is essential that those who enter upon a profession proCession civilian or military mili mili- tary must eternally keep before their eyes the tho practical relationship relationship relationship relation relation- ship of ot their own profession proCession to the rights the hopes and the needs of oi the whole body of citizens who make up the nation One of the most difficult tasks of gov gov- today is to avoid the aggrandizement of any anyone one group and to keep the main objective of ot the general good clear and unimpaired unimpaired paired The captain of ol a company will fail if It in thinking only of ot his company he forgets the relationship relationship relation relation- ship of ot his company to the tho company company company com com- pany on his right and the company company company com com- pany on his left the left the relationship of ol his company compan to the regiment as a whole The successful commander commander commander com com- mander of oC an army must give consideration to all of oC the units units' which make up his army and in addition must of ot necessity re- re remember remember member the tho existence the condition condition condition con con- and the ultimate strength th of oC his reserves and of oC the civilian population which Is serving servin the same cause behind the JincA linesA linesA lines A sense of Ie proportion Is essential essential essen essen- to the effective attainment of any great objective I shall al always alwa's al- al ways was remember a day in the summer of ot 1018 lUB when I visited the headquarters of General Foch the thc commander in chief of oC the thc allied and associated armies With Witha a single aide I motored from Paris and came to a delightful old chateau far behind tho the lines Jines and lying within its little walled park in the most peaceful bucolic bucolic bu bu- bu- bu colic surroundings s you can imagine imagine im im- im- im agine ono one sentry at the gate ate Within the park a few chickens and a 3 couple of cows At thedoor thedoor the thedoor door nobody In answer to our ring the door door- was opened by a captain and in a moment we found ourselves in the presence of General Foch who was sitting in a comfortable chair in a large drawing room reading a F French novel I spent an hour with the tho general and discovered that his entire staff consisted of half haJ a dozen officers and a dozen vates Ro Rose Roso o Above Details Detail While I was there then a young British dispatch rider came in bearing the daily report from Marshal Halg Haig That report was written in long hand on one sheet of paper It said in effect My dear general No advances or retirements of major importance today Reserves increased 1500 men since yesterday They now total Ver Very sincerely yours yours' ours A few minutes later a similar note was brought by an aide of ot General Pershing I marveled at the simplicity of the generals general's headquarters and at the apparent lack of detail which he received from the generals generals generals gen gen- gen gen- in command of the various armies Foch said to me If It I concerned myself with details I could not win tho war I can consider only major advances or major retirements The knowledge knowl knowledge edge of movements of two or three kilometers here or there would confuse me by diverting my at attention attention attention at- at from the great Only major results and major strategy concern a commander in chief Most especially am I 1 concerned concerned concerned con con- with the reserve power of men of ot guns of ot ammunition and of supplies That includes of ot necessity necessity necessity ne ne- ne- ne consideration of ol what the people of France the people of ot England and the people of the U. U S. S are doing and can do to keep the allied armies in a position position position tion to make victory a certainty Army Defensive Only You who are about to become officers of ot the highly efficient regular arm army of the U. U S. S will recognize that you are an integral integral integral inte inte- gral part not only of ot that army but also of ot the citizenship of the United States As a nation we have been fortunate in a geographic geographic geographic geo geo- graphic isolation which in itself partially protected our boundless resources To that happy circumstance circumstance circum circum- stance has been added the priceless priceless priceless price price- less blessing of ot friendship with our near neighbors It It is in full appreciation of ot our advantageous position and of ol our own devotion to the tho cause of peace that our nations nation's defensive system has always reflected the single purpose that that name implies We maintain an army to promote tranquility and to secure se secure secure se- se cure us from aggression but it Isso is isso isso so created and so modest in proportion proportion proportion pro pro- portion as to furnish proof that no threat or menace to the rights of others is 18 even oven remotely in intended in- in tended On some occasions in our history we have reduced our army to a level Jevel unjustified by a due regard to our own safety It was in fn the conviction th that t we wo had I again drifted too far tar in that direction direction direction tion that I have recently approved acts of oC the congress to accomplish a partial parti restoration of ot the tho army's enlisted strength and increasing the enrollment of oC cadets In fn the United States military academy Peace Worlds World's Greatest Need The greatest need of ot the world today is the assurance of permanent permanent permanent perma perma- nent peace peace peace-an an assurance based on mutual understanding and mutual mutual mutual mu mu- regard During your careers you OU will go o to many stations at home and abroad enjoying unusual unusual unusual un un- usual opportunities to mingle with our own and other people to learn their points of oC view and to apprecIate appreciate appreciate their aspirations If you strive at all times to promote friendship and to discourage e suspicion suspicion sus- sus suspicion sus sus- to teach respect for or the rights of oC others and to decry aggression aggression ag a- ag- ag to oppose Intolerance with a spirit of mutual helpfulness helpful helpful- ness then ness then indeed your services will be of oC full value to your government government government gov gov- and a source of oC satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction satis satis- faction to yourselves Sympathetic Sympathetic Sympathetic understanding of oC fellow tellow fellowmen fellowmen men has ever been the hallmark of the leader Jeader Last but by no means least you OU will be worthy of the illustrious traditions of West Vest WestPoint Point Personally I extend to each and ever every one of oC you OU who graduate graduate graduate grad grad- today my congratulations congratulation and best wishes As commander in chief of the army of ot the United States I tell you that I am proud of you and wish you Godspeed |