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Show PRESIDENT AT YALE DINNER Graduates Present Ranging From Silvery Haired Old Men to Youths takes, the opportunity for failure or If not failure, of ;i dead level i.f do Ins nothing, are no mnn,- (hat. I look for-' ward with great hesitation and reluctance reluc-tance to the results of the next four yearn." "Might" called a voice and others took up the chorus. "If I do all that I ought to do In the the next four years." icjolned-' the president, "I will have done all that Is In tho contract and the next four years can take care of themselves. " "Eight, eight," cried tho alumni again in a swelling chorus. "There are great problems lo solve," added the president, "but I will take to them tho application of honesty of purpose, industry and common sense. That Is what I understand we learned at Yale, and If ih bringing those things to bear I solve all the problems of the next four years satisfactorily, I will be willing to meet you again at tho end of that time and compare notes." President Tall, Just boforo entering Into Ihla brief dlscusslQn of the pres- New York. March 19 With songs ot tho football field and tho boatr?co course, with a deafening cheer and a rousing chorus of "Hero's to Old Yale, Drink Her Down," President Taft war greeted tonight as the first Yale preri dent or tho United States by .norq, than 1,500 graduates of the university. Tho graduates camo from all over tho country'. They ranged rrom silvery-haired silvery-haired old men, whose degrees bear the dato'of '53 down, to tho youths who left their alma mater only last June. Tho dinner was served at tho Waldorf-Astoria. The Immense ball room wat decorated with a lavish wealth of flowers. From the ceilings countless count-less chains of pink blooms fell In graceful loops. The balcony guards and tho sidewalks were entwined with, loses. The speakers' table, at wblcn Hadley, of YaJo,, and vthcr distinguished distin-guished graduates, was canopied with t.ency, had quoted what Glfford Pin-chot Pin-chot had once said of President Roo.se-elt, Roo.se-elt, that "also subjected to Influence of four years at Harvard, President Roosevelt, still remained a Yale man When President Taft was Introduced Intro-duced by Toastmaster Shetlleld, tho demonstration was prolonged, filled with college cheers and songs. "Now for the event for. which wo have waited 208 years," said Toirit-master Toirit-master Sheffield, and the president began: "Men of Yale," he said, "I havo made In the last six months more, than 100 speeches, but none or them presented tho difficulties of this occasion. oc-casion. I have a brother's . afTectlon for cVery Yale man within sound of niy voice, and I desire to express to them my personal gratitude for their joining in this occasion and for the expression of the feeling which I take It Is affection for me. "As I look back upon my liro, it seems to me that I have been a Yale man from the first time I had cm- sciousncss. b rom early youth I havo been breathing in Yale atmosphere. No one could live .under the range ot my father's Influence without being a "i ale man, and what success has come to me 1 most largely attribute to the spirit of Yale." President Taft said that his father, as a Yale man, had not. such a thins as a dress suit up to the time of his graduating year, when Jie hired a preacher to make him one. "1 tell yen these Incidents of my rather to show you all the Influences that pro-' pro-' ailed In our home. They were Yale all the way through." Commenting upon some remark3 which President Hadley had made, as to changes, at Yale. Mr. Taft said he believed the tone of the Institution morally was higher today than it hod ever ben before. t "And," he added, "the spirit that Yale has handed down for more than 100 years Is still strong enough to accomplished ac-complished those great purposes for which It was intended." Mr. Taft was cheered to the echo as he concluded, and quickly made his way to a waiting automobile to be taken to the Twenty-third street fer ry. He left shortly afterward tor V.'athington. awiticiai representatives or the elements ele-ments of old age. Back of the tahlo was a huge drop curtain bearing a painting of the old brick row, which was a reality In President Tart's student stu-dent days, but which is now mostly a memory. In front of the curtain and back ot the speakers was a replica of the old Yale fence. The representation of the old barrier was complete down to the last detail. Many of the Initials. Including In-cluding the "W. H. T." of Mr. Tntt and the "A. T. H." of President Hadley Had-ley were faithfully reproduced. An orchestra played Yale anthenu throughout the evening and the sinking sink-ing of the rollicking snga was led by a glee club of 32 graduates seated at a center table. President Taft was probably the happiest man at the dinner, which was given entirely In his honor. Ho was not hailed as president, however, but as "Bill" the salutation whicn punctuated the cheering as ho cote co-te red. The only set speeches of the evening even-ing were made by President Taft and President Hadley. The latter spoko first, responding to the toast " 'Neath the Elms," while the former, speaking entirely extemporaneously, had tc bis subject, "For God, for Country and for Yale." There were other informal speeches. Among the guests at the dinner were Henry' W. Taft and Horace D. Tait, brothers of the president. While the dinner was being served many graduates. Including a host from his class of '7S. made their way to the president's table, 6hook hands with him and slapped him on the back and renewed the acquaintance of college days. the toast of the evening ran: "But now tonight we are boys once more; Who cares how the fates have spun? A pledge to the mothers of years ten score, A pledge to their favorite son. Here's wishing her wealth and wishing wish-ing him health, Long life and an easy trail; With the heels of the glass, fill up and puss, To the dust of Ellhu Yale." As the 1.500 graduates Joined In a mighty chorus, the rafters rung with the college songs: "Yale Will Win." "Eli Yale," "Should Fortune Prove Unkind." Un-kind." "Stand by Your Glasses," "Old Mountain Tree," "The Old Brick Row" and "Bright College Years." The precaution taken to guard the president tonight exceeding anything of the kind ever before seen in this city. Large squads of policemen were thrown about the hotel. Inside the corridors fairly swarmed with detectives, detec-tives, secret service men and special watchmen. Just before President Taft spoke the lights in the ballroom were dimmed and a screened calcium sent a flood of blue rays upon the speaker's table. Through the windows of the "Old Brick Row" lights gleamed. Then began be-gan a yell of "Oh, Fresh. Put Out That Light." It was caught up all over the room. It wa6 nearly 11 o'clock when Mr. Taft began to "speak, and as ho was leaving on the midnight train for Washington his remarks necessarily were brief. He confined himself al- most entirely to a eulogy or Yale and of the Yale'spiidt. which he declared had been a guiding influence in-his lite. Mr. Taft said he was carrying the Yale spirit with him to the discharge of his duties as president "And." ho added, "it Is a great deal better to leave that office with the plaudits of your countrymen than to enter it. Tho opportunities for mis- |
