| Show ples SOW 19 1 dvm iii 11 ia A MMA 1 J wald ON bif oroa C alij dav L A T THE AVAL ACADEMY 1 dar ay of the first week 0 of june ot of each year the quaint little city of ann apolis maryland enjoys a degree of prominence in the eyes of the people of the entire country un rivaled by that regularly accorded to any other community ot of the size the explanation Is not tar far thes sieke to seek e the historic town at the junction ot of the severn river and chesapeake bay Is the seat ot of the united states naval academy and this first week of 9 summer Is the climax ot of the vear year at uncle sam sams s great training school primarily of course june week at the naval academy Is significant of those varied festivities social and athletic which always characterize the commencement season at a great eat et of learning prom from that stand point the crowning week of the year at the naval academy Is not so different from the correspond ing interval at yale harvard cor nell or any other of the big col leges save that the military and nautical character of the tion the discipline the abundance of gold braid and other charac te tend to make the wind up of the school year at annapolis a rather more showy function than it Is anywhere else with the possible exception of the united states military academy at west point however the commencement exercises are but an incident ot of the june week program at ann apollo indeed there have been years when the graduating class of df future admirals received their diplomas in february and yet june week lost nothing of its importance in consequence of the elimination of the graduation feature over shadowing the commencement is the tact fact that this Is the season of the year set apart tor for the annual inspection by the official board of visitors and in deed the seven days of strenuous activity Is often referred to as visitors week rather than a as s june week and it Is more correct in several respects one being found in the circumstance that june week often begins in may S 1 in the interpretation of the friends and relatives of the 1000 1 young men in training for officers coin missions at annapolis visitors week Is synoni sy nony with t season set apart for their edification and amusement and this personal application ot of the term Is readily understandable when one the town full to overflowing with proud parents sisters relatives and sweethearts of the iiren men the fair sex predominating by a tremendous majority such Is the influx that the limited hotel and boarding house accommodations are fully en months in advance and many visitors ii are obliged to travel by trolley to washington or bal each night for sleeping quarters at tracked by the navy a greatest spectacle this Is the one season of the year above all others chosen by everybody every bod interested in the middies middles callec Commence commencement men exercises are usi i r 4 A ally h held e I 1 d 0 01 n af friday of jun june jl week A eek in the th magnificent magn incent memoria memorial I 1 aus chapel which is 1 I 1 I 1 1 aa the architectural keynote t of af the ten million dolla dollar V 1 ome 0 t f t h e A 4 P naval school As A e V I 1 a rule the diplo mas are present ed to the gradi ates by the prest pres dent of the un ted states the th secretary of the th 44 i navy or the ad ac r tt t t miral of the navy ma 0 hl SS 0 1 the drills a an it d I 1 parades and ott er arduous spectacles in which the th middles participate during this busy bus week h hive ave their compensations in the th social features of the joyous season the first fix st class gives a german to which invitations are eagerly sought by the th girl visitors and the festivities of the th neek close with a farewell ball that is 1 the crown crowning inZ cleasure ole Dle asure of a memorable me V ft A A w ell i ArrIL LURY prill A r HZ 7 i lively or individually to pay a visit to their pr and the casual onlooker might readily sup poke that the merry round of hops and parades and ceremonies had been designed especially for or the edification of these well wishers As a matter of tact fact however the succession of 0 drills exercises sham battles displays of seaman ship and other practical demonstrations that crowd this strenuous week are for the benefit of the official board of visitors less than a dozen annen men who in their plain civilian attire are some what overshadowed by the officers that escort f them brave in raiment of blue broadcloth or alite duck liberally bespattered with gold in signia ii aThe Doard of visitors Is appointed each tye ear ar b byther inthe president of the united states for or the purpose ot of conducting a thor thorough ough in of 0 the naval academy and investigation of its methods of training and making recommend a eions as to needed changes in the curriculum etc consequently the student body at the great naval school Is put through all its paces in order to af ford the investigators object lessons at first hand as to the methods and equipment of the academy and the results attained in the training of young men as officers of uncle s sam s sea service dennet IVER season and incidentally allows all th officers to be to exchange a final goodbe with the girls who will be left behind when on the following morning th oung tars sail away on the battleships 1 that ar are e to serve as floating school rooms during a practise cruise that will contin ie throughout the summer in the drills and sham battles of thia this spectacular week the young men al at annapolis appear successively in drill as en ginders infantrymen and artillerymen and they likewise demonstrate their ability to handle boata boats under oars sail and steam torpedo mine and gun drills are included in the varied program while saber combats fencing bouts and small arm target practise demo demonstrate estrate the qualifications of the young men to execute as well as give an order thia this ear for the first time the midshipmen will make their summer cruise on battleships instead of on cruisers and monitors such as have previously been utilized for such vo ages |
